Aloha! It's good to be back
by Lady Carlton
Summary: After Steve and Kono are arrested, Danny can't stop thinking about a way to get them out of jail, and the only solution he can think of is calling this FBI agent he met a while ago. -Steve/OC- R&R! Rated M for chapter 29 and some others... Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: Sadly enough, I do not own H50, nor Danno, nor Steve, nor Kono.. I think you get it by now. I just own my creativity! **_Which, by the way, can be really really lame sometimes.._**  
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**So, hi :) This is my first attempt to write a Hawaii Five-0 fic so, please, be gentle!  
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**This fic takes place after the season finale.**

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><p><em>"It was Wo Fat."<em>

Steve's words were engraved on Danny's mind. Even though Chin have said Steve was the only one in the house, Danny still believed in his words. Steve was innocent, but, now, with the 5-0 out, he couldn't do much. In fact, he couldn't do anything.

"Dammit," he cursed when he was in his car, on his way back to his house. Danny also missed the flight to Newark.

Things didn't go according to any plans that day. Steve was in jail. Kono was in jail. Chin ditched the 5-0 and suddenly, he went back to the HPD. Things were pretty fucked up.

He tried to think about something. He needed to do anything.

"C'mon, Danny. Think." He was thinking out loud, maybe that would help.. God knows he would need any help he could get, because, at the moment, he was totally lost.

Less than ten minutes later he was in his place. Taking a cold beer, he sank in the couch; Danny felt helpless, powerless and kinda useless. Their friends needed him, but he couldn't figure any way out.

Two beers later, something popped.

"Holy crap, why I didn't think about it earlier?"

Danny literally jumped out of the couch and ran to get his phone he had left somewhere by the door. His finger worked fast and he quickly found the number that would be his only salvation.

He hesitated before dialing. It was 11:03 PM in Hawaii, in DC would be what? 5 AM? Too early to call. And what if the person didn't remember him? Damn, he needed to do try. Taking a couple of deep breaths, he pressed dial. He really couldn't wait.

**xxx**

The clock on the wall was saying it was 4:59 AM. It could be too soon or too late, it only depends on the point of view.

"Hey, you need to stop," said a male voice.

Catherine raised her eyes from the many sheets of paper she had on the desk. Standing by the fridge, there was a tall, athletic and tanned blonde guy. Even though he was really sleepy, she could almost see his deep blue eyes, looking at her and right through her.

"I'm just finishing some stuff, Jake, go back to bed."

"You're a workaholic, you know that?" he said while walking towards her. His voice was deep and husky and his hair was a mess, but, instead of making him look bad, it only made him look even more beautiful.

"Am not!" she replied, faking a hurtful tone.

"Kate, you can't do that! Seriously, you need to sleep sometimes, you know that?" Jacob occupied the chair that was on her right. He didn't touch any of the papers because he knew it was important and didn't want to screw things up.

"I'll have plenty of time to sleep when I die, Jake," she said joking, but he didn't smile.

"I mean it, Kate. You can't live like that. You'll get yourself hurt sometime and I don't want to see my sister hurt." The look on his face was so intense that she didn't insist on the jokes.

Jacob was her eldest brother. As a matter of fact, he was her only brother and the only family she knew. Their parents died twelve years ago, when Jake was 25 and Catherine was 19. Ever since then, they looked up for each other. Now, Jacob was a doctor, while Catherine was an FBI agent. They were essentially different from each other but they were very close, what always made people assume they were a couple and not family. It used to bother them a lot, but now they just ignore it.

Unlike Jacob, Catherine wasn't blonde nor had blue eyes and she was so pale that Jake was willing to bet she'd glow in the dark; she had auburn hair and grey-ish eyes. Catherine was more like their father, while Jacob had their mother's features. She used to be envious of Jake, because he was drop dead gorgeous and he had those magnificent blue eyes.. But now she was glad they were like they were, because she could still see their parents while looking at Jacob and herself.

"Don't worry, Jake. I'm fine." His eyes didn't ease. "I swear, doc. I'm great."

Jacob was about to say something when her phone rang. He addressed a suspicious look at his sister.

"Who calls at 5 in the morning?"

She was as surprised as him. It was her day off, she wasn't expecting any calls.

"I have no idea," she said. Checking her phone, she didn't recognized the number, only the code area. "Hawaii.."

"Hawaii?" Jacob frowned. "Do you know anyone from Hawaii?" But she didn't answer him, instead, she answered her phone.

"Hello?"

_"Uh- hi.. I-I know it's really late and I shouldn't be calling but I'm looking for Catherine Taylor. It's important. Is this her number yet?"_

"Danny?"

Catherine met Danny less than a year ago, when she went to Hawaii, in some sort of vacation trip; she had taken ten days of leave and decided Hawaii would be nice. Also, she was really looking forward to spend some time without her brother; he was nice and she loved him but, sharing a house with him, as much as they rarely saw each other was too much sometimes, especially when one of them was in a relationship, which was Jacob's case by that time.

So she met him one day she was on the beach, just chilling. He was wearing dress shirt and tie, and she knew right there he was a cop. That and the fact that he was chasing a random guy which she helped knocking down so he would take him in custody. After that, Catherine also got to meet the Five-0 team; they spend some time together and became good friends, nothing more than that. Before leaving, she gave them her number, just in case someone might need some professional help in the future, or anything friends might need.

_"Oh hey! It's you! And you still remember me.. God!"_

"Of course I remember you! How are you?"

"Who's this? Who's Danny?" Jacob was whispering lots of questions and she tried to shush him, but it wasn't working.

_"Well, to be honest.. Things are.. eh- not okay.."_

"Well, what is it, Danny? Are you alright?"

_"I'm fine, it's McGarrett.. And Kono"_

"What happened to Steve and Kono?" Her voice went a bit louder as she stood up and began to pace. Jake became more impatient with his sister's behavior.

"What?" he asked and she shushed him loudly.

_"Oh- I'm sorry, Kate.. I'm sorry I called you this time, I can call you later. I'm sorry I interrupted something, I didn't know yo-"_

"NO! No, Danny, just," she gave her brother a deadly look. "It's my brother, don't worry about it, nor the time, just tell me what happened. What do you need?"

_"Kono is in jail for something we did... And the HPD thinks McGarrett killed the Governor." _Catherine's eyes widened as her mouth hang half open, as Danny continued; his words were coming faster than the usual and she could feel the urgency in his voice._ "I know we didn't talk in quite a long time, but.. I could only think of you. Please. We need your help."_

"Alright, calm down. I'll need more details here. Just, relax, take a deep breath and tell me **exactly** what happened."

She heard Danny inhaling deeply on the other side before start explaining.

He told her everything about the envelopes Steve was receiving, told about Steve's suspicions that the Governor was working with Wo Fat. He told her about Chin going back to the HPD after everything they put him through, everything about the money they took and the reason why they did it. Danny explained why Steve broke into the Governor's house and how Chin arrested him. Everything that Danny knew, he told Catherine.

"Okay, Danny. I want you to get me a number where I can talk to Chin, and please, I need it fast."

_"What will you do?"_

"Just trust me okay. I'm helping you."

_"Oh, thank God... Thanks, Kate. Thank you very much."_

"You're welcome, Danny. Now, I need the number."

"Sure, sure.."

While Danny was looking for the number, she called for her brother who was sitting there, waiting not so patiently. "Jake?" He shook his head in sigh he was listening. "I need you to book me a ticket to Hawaii. Just one way. Now."

His eyes went wide open. "What? Why?"

"Please, Jake. The first flight available. If it's fifteen minutes from now, I'm taking it. Please." She gave him her best puppy dog eyes; it was irresistible.

"Fine," he said through teeth. Jacob wasn't happy about it but agreed.

Catherine flashed a smile to her brother and whispered a "thank you" right after running to her bedroom, to pack. She was almost good to go because she always kept a bag with clothes in case she was suddenly requested to go somewhere else.

She was adding a few more clothes when Danny was back with the precinct number. "Thanks, Dan."

"You're welcome.. Hey Kate?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For everything."

"Don't thank me yet. I won't be happy until I see Steve and Kono out of jail."

Jacob appeared by her door that moment.

"I got it. The next flight is seven thirty, approximately ninety minutes from now. You're ready?"

"Yes, thanks Jake!" she told her brother, then returned her attention to the phone. "Danny, I'll have to call you back, okay? I have some things to do here.. Hang in there, alright?"

"'kay," agreed Danny. "Thanks Kate. You're amazing."

"You didn't see anything yet, _Danno_," she said playfully, and heard a chuckle in response. "Talk to you later, bye."

"Bye.."

"So.. Will you tell me why you're suddenly going to Hawaii?" Jacob asked, lying on her bed while she finished packing.

"Got to help some friends," she explained. Jacob knew the sister he had and, hearing that didn't surprise him at all. Catherine would fly to Japan if that meant helping people she cared about.

"Alright," he muttered while changing to a seated position. "Want help?"

"No, thanks. I'm done with this," she said while closing her rather big bag. "But I'll need a ride to the airport.."

"Okay," said Jacob jumping out of the bed. "I'll be ready in five," he told her when he reached the door.

"Okie dokie!" she yelled in response. Then, turning her attention to the phone one more time, she dialed her boss's number. It was quite early, but Catherine had to tell her superior, SSA Neal Watson.

"Hello, Watson? It's Catherine. Hi.. Yeah, I know it's early, but I need to ask you a favor.." She explained him shortly what was happening.

_"So, you're going to Hawaii?"_

"Yes, sir," she told him.

_"And I assume you have everything ready by now, am I wrong?"_

"No, sir."

Neal sighed. Catherine has been working for him for about two years now and he knew the agent very well; in fact, she was one of the best agents he knew. "Alright, alright.. But, I think you shouldn't go by yours-"

"With all due respect, sir, I prefer going alone."

"They're your friends, Taylor. You may use a fresh pair of eyes and ears."

"I'll be fine," she insisted. But added. "But, if I need anything, any help, I'll call, is that alright?"

It was always like this. Neal insisted that Catherine didn't work alone most part of the time and she always said she was fine. She was usually right, but, sending one agent to deal with the possible execution of a high-leveled politician, well, that was something Neal didn't want to do to be honest. But, he trusted the agent and, if he sense anything going wrong, he's send, not one agent, but an entire team to Hawaii.

"Yes, fine," he agreed after a moment of silence. "But Catherine.. Take care. And keep me posted."

"Will do, boss. Thanks." Turning to the door, she found her brother standing there, ready. Checking her clock, she noticed her flight would leave in about an hour now and they needed to go. "I have to go now, I'll call you later. Bye."

Jacob took her bag and he thanked God it had wheels. "Wow.. Are you moving to Hawaii and you're not telling me, Kate?"

"Oh my God! You found out!" she gave him a surprised look.

He punched her arm softly, and they both laughed.

"No. I was kidding. I'm just taking more than I normally do, because, well, it's near the beach and I have no idea when I'll come back," she admitted and Jacob just nodded.

They had some small talk while going to the airport, but Kate was clearly thinking about the situation in Hawaii so Jacob didn't insist.

After he parked in the airport's parking lot, he helped his sister with her baggage.

"Take care, okay," Jacob told her. "And, please, don't do anything reckless."

"Well, you're asking me not to be me," she said smiling while hugging him.

"I'm serious, Kate," he said super serious.

"I know, Jake. I know.. Don't worry. I'll behave," she kissed his cheek and gave him a last smile before turn around and walk to the lounge where she's wait for her flight.

It was seven forty five when the plane left DC. It was a long flight so she put her earphones and got her iPod; now, the only thing that Catherine could possibly do was wait.

.

Fourteen hours later, Catherine's flight landed in Honolulu. In DC, it would be about 9 PM, but, in Hawaii, it was only 3 PM. Even though she slept throughout the flight, she was feeling tired; she wasn't the kind of girl who liked to lay low. Catherine liked action.

Once she got her baggage, her next mission was to get a cab. The airport was crazy and it took her fifteen minutes to finally find one.

"Aloha," said the driver. "Where to?"

"Aloha! Five-0 headquarters, please?" Catherine told the place to the drive after fishing for her phone in her bag; she was expecting to find him there, even though he told her the Five-0 didn't exist anymore. Her battery was low and she prayed it would last long enough; she called Danny and he answered it before ringing three times.

"Danny."

"Hi Dan, how are you holding?"

"Okay I guess.. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Listen, where are you?"

"I'm at my apartment.. why?"

"Could you please go to the Five-0 HQ?"

"Sure, but why?"

"My battery is dying, Danny! Just go there, okay. I'll talk to you in a few."

She didn't even say goodbye when her phone died. Tossing it inside her bag, she sat back. Oh, God, she was tired and digging a shower, but that would have to wait. Right now, she had more important things to deal with.

. . .

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><p><em><strong>So yeah! This was chapter 1 :) I know it wasn't thaaat big of a deal but I hope you guys like it! I'm still working on Chapter 2 so, it might take a while..<strong>_

_**Thanks for reading! And please, review! Tell me if you like it, hate it, think it's lame, you don't care for it.. whatever. Just let me know what you think!**_

_**xoxo**_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**_ I'd like to apologize in advance in case there are any super weird/bizzare things in this fic. Also, I didn't do much edit on this chapter so, please, let me know if you find something that's very very wrong or awkward._

_Other than that, I hope you enjoy it!  
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><p>"Here you are," said Catherine, giving forty dollars to the cab driver. "Keep the change," she told him with a smile.<p>

"Hey! Lady!" Called the driver and she turned back to face him. "Here, have my card. You're not from here, so.. If you need a car, just call me!"

"Thank you," she said taking the card he was giving to her. "I very much appreciate it."

"You're welcome," he said happily. "And I hope you have a great time in Hawaii!"

Catherine thanked him again, even though she wasn't so sure she would have such a great time. She was on duty, so, fun wasn't exactly part of the schedule.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled the handle of the bag and walked to the Five-0 building right in front of her. The first thing she noticed was a silver Camaro parked nearby.

"Danny," she thought out loud.

The moment she walked through the doors, she saw the back of a man who was standing exactly in front of her. He had blonde hair, quite broad shoulders even though he was not that much tall; he was wearing dress shirt, tailored trousers and had his eyes fixed on something he was holding. Catherine was willing to bet anything it was a cell phone.

"Hello, Danny," she called and the man turned quickly.

"Catherine? Oh my God!" His voice showed genuine surprise. "What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you.."

Danny walked to Catherine and gave her a hug. He wasn't expecting to see her there at all. He thought she had send something and wanted him to get it, but not this. Not her.

"Hi! I told you I'd help, so, here I am. I'm here to help you!"

"Why you didn't tell me you were here? Why you didn't tell me you were coming?"

"Because I didn't know what time I'd arrive. My brother booked the ticket so I wasn't sure! And when I called you, my phone was dying so I didn't have time.."

"You should've called when your plane arrived. I would've went to the airport and picked you." Danny's voice was a mix of indignation and hurt.

"No, I didn't want to be a burden.. Besides, the cab driver was really nice."

Danny pouted. "Alright.. My.. It's really great to see you, Kate. Really."

"It's very nice seeing you too! Even though, I think I'd like everything better if things were different.. The situations weren't, well, this.." Catherine's voice went from bubbly happy to serious and deep. "Did you talk to Kono or McGarrett?"

"No," said Danny with a sigh. "I didn't even go to the precinct yet.."

"Well, care to give me a ride? I want to talk to Chin."

Hearing Chin's name made Danny hesitate. Catherine, as a trained agent read that as doubt. She understood that Danny wasn't happy about Chin's decision to leave the Five-0 and join the HPD after everything the Police Department put him through. Danny felt betrayed and that was not good.

"Danny," she called for him. "We don't know what motivated his decision.." Catherine was just trying to put some perspective, but he cut her before she could finish.

"He left us! Kate. The moment he saw things were hard as hell, he left. Chin was the one to arrest McGarrett! He read him his rights!" There was anger and frustration built in every word Danny said, and Catherine understood him. She really did. "For God's sake.. Steve trusted him. When he wasn't a cop anymore, McGarrett trusted him and invited him to be a part of the Five-0s, and that's how he shows his gratitude? That's bullshit!"

Catherine remained silent during Danny's outburst. She couldn't tell him he was wrong because she didn't know them; not like Danny knew. She met them a long time ago and wasn't part of their team. She was only a friend, maybe just a colleague, so she waited patiently.

"That's bullshit," he said again, this time not so loud. Running one hand through his hair he paced shortly through the room. The sound of his steps echoed; even though the place was still equipped, nobody was there, working. Only the two of them.

Catherine looked like a statuesque. She didn't move or spoke for a long moment, until Danny turned to face her. He couldn't read her; she could be judging him, reproving his behavior, thinking he was crazy, he would never know.. Maybe if he could read minds he could know what was on her mind, but, just by looking at her, it was impossible. It was either because of her job or something else, he now remembered that Catherine was the owner of the perfect pokerface. Perfect in every single way.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, looking down. The way her grey eyes were fixed on his, it always made him feel like she was staring right into his soul and hearing and reading everything he was thinking. That and the fact that she was stunning always made him feel a little embarrassed. And he had yelled at her! Oh boy..

"Don't be," she said, flashing him an encouraging smile. "It's okay, really."

"No, it's not.. I shouldn't have yelled at you.."

"Danny," she closed the space between them with three short steps. "I said, it's fine. Do not apologize for saying the truth. If that's how you feel, alright then.

"I was saying that we don't know what made him do that, but I'm not an active part of your lives so I don't know anything, and, honestly, as a human being, I think you have the right to feel how you feel. But do not apologize. It's like saying you're sorry for being you. So don't. Okay." She had her both hands on his arms, and she was dead serious. "But I accept your apologies for the tone you used."

Danny nodded; a shy smile on his face. "Great," she said smiling wide open. "Now, seriously. I need to see Chin." This time, he didn't shiver. "You don't have to come with me, Danny, I just could really use a ride.. or maybe you could tell me where to find him and I'll call a cab."

Danny couldn't let her down. Not her. Catherine flew from DC to Hawaii to help him. He just couldn't do such thing. "I'll take you there, you don't need to call a cab," he said while walking to the door and getting her bag - it was heavy. "Woah.. You're moving to Hawaii?"

Catherine chuckled. "Yeah, I'm moving. I was hoping you could help me find a house later.. What do you think?"

"Sure," he said playing along.

"Yeah, I wish," she said with a shy smile on her face. "But you know, my brother asked the same thing.." and then she remembered; she told Jake she'd call when she arrived but she didn't. And her phone was dead.

"Maybe, just maybe, it's because you have what? Your entire wardrobe in here?"

"I do not! It's only half of it!" she said in shock.

"Holy crap," he muttered while putting her bag in the trunk.

"Danny, can I ask you another favor?"

"Yeah, sure. What is it?"

"Can I borrow your phone? I promised my brother I'd call but my phone is dead so.. Do you mind?"

"Of course not. Here it is," he handed his phone to Catherine.

"Thank you very much! I'll pay the call, I promise," she said with a huge smile.

"Nah, don't be silly," he told her while getting into the car. Seconds later, she occupied the passenger seat.

.

"I'll wait outside," said Danny when he parked in front of the precinct. "If you don't mind.."

Catherine stopped and looked at him for a while. He looked distressed and almost sad.

"Alright," she agreed softly, giving the phone back to him. "I don't mind.. It might take a while, so, you don't really need to wait here.."

"Take your time.. I'll wait."

Smiling, Catherine stepped out of the car and walked confidently to the HPD precinct. There were a few Officers inside.

"Excuse me.. Hi. I'm looking for Chin Ho Kelly, is he here?" she asked one of them. Mid thirties, blonde, tanned, 5'8" and incredibly athletic. It didn't exactly made her go 'wow' because first, she had been there before and second, she was in Hawaii, not in DC anymore, so she was expecting to see some Police Officers who looked like Kelly Slater.

"Hello there," he said looking her head to toe. She hated when that happened, so badly. "Can I ask who's looking for him?"

"Yes, tell him that Catherine is here," she said simply.

"Sure.. Catherine." Judging by the tone of his voice, he was flirting, and she just closed her eyes; she didn't want him to see her rolling them. "And I'm supposed to announce Catherine from..?"

"FBI," she said pulling out her FBI badge out of her suit jacket. She was in Hawaii, sure, but she came from DC so she was wearing the usual combo: white dress shirt and black suit, trousers instead of skirt. "Tell him that FBI Special Agent Catherine Taylor is here. Please."

He opened his eyes widely. Looking at her ID and back at her, he muttered an "alright, will you wait here a minute, please?" and left.

Catherine waited patiently, but the rest of the guys at the precinct seemed to be quite agitated.

.

"Lt Kelly?"

Chin raised his eyes from some papers he had on his desk and looked at the officer standing by his door.

"Yes?"

"There's a woman here asking for you," he said shyly.

"Okay. What's her name?"

"Her name's Catherine Taylor," informed the man; Chin tried to remember why that name was familiar to him when the man added after clearing his throat. "FBI."

When he said those three letters, Chin remembered. He met Catherine a while ago, when she helped Danny with a suspect.

"Where is she?" asked Chin as he stood up. He wasn't seeing her anywhere.

"She's waiting by the-"

"Then tell her to come in!" Chin interrupted him quite loudly. "You know what? No. I'll go there myself," he said walking through the doors and by the officer who was standing there.

.

Catherine was standing by the precinct's front door, on the inside. He saw her before she could see him.

"Hey, Catherine!" he called her name when he was getting closer and thought she could see him.

"Chin! Hi!" She found him seconds before hearing his voice.

He had passed through the officers and they were now face to face.

"It's been a long time," he said while hugging Catherine. "How are you?"

"Oh, I know," she said letting him go. "I wanted to come back sooner but I couldn't. But I'm fine, thanks for asking! How are you?"

"I'm good," he said and Catherine knew he wasn't being completely honest. "Glad to see you. You look great by the way."

She smiled shyly. "I do not.. But it's good to see you too. Wow.. Lieutenant? That's huge!"

"Not so much," he replied quite embarrassed. "So, what brings you to Hawaii?"

His question made her mood turn grim and Chin began to put the pieces together.

"I'd like to speak with you," she said politely. "In private."

"Sure," Chin agreed. "Follow me, please?" and after Catherine saying a simple 'alright' he lead the way to his own room.

.

"I think you already know why I'm here, am I right?" said Catherine turning on her heels to face Chin; he had opened the door so she could walk in and stood behind her, right in front of the door.

"I believe so," he said leaving the door and walking towards his desk, sitting on its edge. "You're here because of what happened to the Governor, right?"

"The Governor and McGarrett.. and Kono."

Hearing his cousin's name startled Chin. "Kono? What happened to her?"

"She was arrested, Chin.. You didn't know?"

"No! I was.. busy. Why?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I will find out."

"Oh, so will I," he said reaching for the phone, but Catherine's hands stopped him.

"Chin, wait. I understand you're worried, but I'm sure Kono is fine. She's tough. I really need to talk to you right now so just listen to me and then you can do whatever you want."

Chin closed his eyes for a while. This was all messed up. He wanted to know what the hell happened while he was.. dealing with the Governor's case. Catherine squeezed his hands softly, a silent plea, so he let go of the phone.

"Alright," he raised his eyes. "Alright.. How can I help you?"

"I spoke with Danny," said Catherine releasing Chin's hands. "And he told me what happened to the Governor and Steve," she said looking deeply at him, still standing. "But he couldn't explain exactly what happened so could you tell me your version of this case? Please?"

Chin sighed. Knowing Danny the way he did, he was damn sure he was mad at him. "It's complicated," he said weakly.

"Then explain it to me." Catherine was almost begging.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, Chin Ho Kelly sat behind his desk and, pointing the chair right in front of him, he agreed to talk.

"Alright.. What Danny told you?"

"Not much," she said, sitting on the chair he pointed. "He only told me you were the one to arrest McGarrett; he said you found him with the Governor and he was the only on at the crime scene.."

"He's right," said Chin unhappy. It took him a while to explain what happened but, eventually, he spoke.

Chin said the same thing Danny told her; about the envelopes and its contents, when Steve first broke into the Governor's house and found the pictures on the furniture he had the key and that he suspected that she was working with Wo Fat.

"And when we went there last night, he was holding a gun, and the Governor was dead; two shots on her chest. Trust me, I didn't want to believe he did that but he was the only one in the house! He said it was Wo Fat, but, we searched the entire house and it was empty.."

Catherine listened to what he had to say quietly. She could tell he was in distress because of all that.

"Why you returned to the HPD?" she asked when he gave signs of not continuing.

"What?"

"Why did you decide it was a good idea to go back to the HPD? What was your motive?"

"Why are you asking me this? It's not relevant," he replied defensively.

"It is relevant, I can promise you that."

"I don't underst-"

"I'll explain it to you, Chin."

She didn't need to ask one more time, he explained.

"I was there when Steve showed us the pictures; the evidence that the Governor knew that her assistant, Laura, was the one who was sending McGarrett his father's evidences. He believed that the Governor and Wo Fat worked together to kill Laura by exploding her car.. And they knew that because Jenna recognized the bomb as being Wo Fat's."

"Okay, wait a minute.. Who's Jenna?"

"Jenna is an ex-CIA agent, and she was helping the Five-0s. Anyway, when he learned that, he was determined to make her pay.." Chin made a pause to take a breath. "We were at the Five-0 HQ when we learned that McGarrett was on the HPD list. They were after him and, right after we found that, the police surrounded the area. I have no idea how he escaped but, I thought, if he was in jail, the Five-0s would lost its credibility and it would end.. and we would not be able to do anything.. That's why I decided to accept the HPD's offer and return. Because maybe I could do something for my team. But then.."

"Then you found Steve at Jameson's house.. and she was dead," finished Catherine.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "Now I don't know what to do.."

Chin felt like he was standing at a crossroad; he didn't know what to do and that was really bothering him. He tried to make amends but when it all went down, he could totally understand Danny's anger towards him.

And Catherine could see his struggle, and she empathize. She didn't know exactly what he was going through but she imagined it shouldn't be easy. As much as she remembered, the friendship between Chin, Danny, Kono and Steve was something she never saw before - it was strong and resilient. She could only imagine what the man in front of her was feeling and it still wouldn't be accurate.

"I'd like to speak with Steve McGarrett," said Catherine after a brief moment of quietness.

Chin stared at her. "Catherine, I don't know.."

"Chin, we'll just talk. Besides," she sighed. "I'm here to investigate Governor Jameson's death, so, I believe talking to your number one suspect fits the job description."

"You're here at work?" asked Chin; an eyebrow arched.

"Yes," she admitted. "Chin, I understand they're your team, but I really hope we can work together here." He had his eyes locked on hers. "They're my friends too, Chin. Steve and Kono. I want to get to the bottom of this thing and I know you want too."

"Steve was there. He was the only one."

"Then I don't think I'll do any harm just talking to him, right?"

Chin couldn't decide what to say. She was a friend but also a Federal Agent. What if she used something he said against him? Would she do that?

"Why you didn't tell me that you were here to work the first thing?"

Catherine suddenly understood his resistance. "I'm telling you now. Our talk, it was just a friendly conversation. Anything you said will interfere with the investigation.. I just wanted to be sure the man I met is still there. I just wanted to understand why you chose to go back to the HPD."

Chin hesitated for a while but then, he let his guard down. "Alright," he said finally. "I'll take you to see him."

Following his steps, she was taken to a small room. "Wait here," said Chin. "I'll bring him here so you can talk privately."

Catherine smiled. She didn't ask for a private talk; she'd speak with McGarrett in jail if necessary.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Don't mention it," replied Chin. With a half smile, he left her alone.

. . .

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Hi. Thanks for reading this! I'm sorry if I disappointed you guys.. I know this wasn't my best work and I'm really sorry for that. But leave feedback to help me improve my writing! Once again, thank you :)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you everyone who's reading this! **_And_ **amblue36**, _until the very end!_

**So, there you go. Chapter 3.. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did while writing :)**

**PS:**_ If you find something very very wrong or awkward, please, tell me! Constructive critique is always welcome!_**  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Steve was sitting on the bench, in jail at the precinct. That was all bullshit! He just could not believe Chin locked him there. He didn't kill the goddamned Governor!<p>

But he remembered what Chin said. He was the only one at her place when they got there. Where the hell was Wo Fat?

"Shit!" he cursed loudly, standing up. That bastard could be anywhere, and, with Steve out of his way, he was definitely enjoying it.

Pacing through the little space, Steve ran his hands through his hair then rubbed his face. He needed to get the hell out of there as soon as possible, but how?

He touched the left side of his neck, where Wo Fat used some sort of stun gun to knock him unconscious for a short while. It wasn't hurting but it was bugging him a lot. How could he not pay attention to the environment around him? As a SEAL, he should've had noticed someone else in there.. but he was too caught up; too involved trying to understand why the Governor did that. Maybe more than that, he was blinded and def because of the rush of anger that took over his body.

Steve fell one more time on the bench, shut his eyes closed and sighed heavily. Again, his thoughts were speaking louder and he didn't hear when someone approached.

"McGarrett."

He snapped his eyes open.

"Chin, I didn't do this, man. You have to believe me."

The now HPD Lieutenant raised his right hand, indicating him to stop talking. Steve inhaled deeply and, even though he felt frustrated and a bit angry, he didn't go any further.

"I need you to put these," said Chin, handing him his handcuffs; Steve just stood there, staring at him incredulous. When Steve didn't take it, he added. "Take it. Someone's here to talk to you," he explained and only then Steve took the object; even though he didn't want to, he put it on his own wrists. An Officer was waiting by Chin with the key to unlock Steve's cell.

"I'll take these," Chin spoke to the Officer as he took the keys. "I got it, you can go now."

"Are you sure, Sir?"

"Yes. I'll take him. Go."

As the Officer left, Chin turned his attention to Steve. "Catherine is here to investigate the Governor's death," he was saying when Steve cut him.

"Wait, Catherine? But she's US Navy, how-"

"Not _that_ Catherine. FBI Catherine," said Chin quite annoyed. They were wasting time.

"Oh, right," muttered Steve. His mind wandered to what seemed to be a very long time ago, when he met Catherine Taylor. She walked into the 5-0 Headquarter with Danny and a suspect. No one had any idea who she was, why she was there or what was she doing with Danny and his suspect.

She walked with Danny as he locked the guy in the interrogation room. Chin, Kono and Steve stopped what they were doing, trying to understand what was going on.

"Hey guys, I'd like you all to meet Catherine Taylor," said Danny simply and smiling, his hands pointing towards the woman.

She was tall and wasn't exactly the skinny type of girl, but it didn't make her look less attractive. On the other hand, she seemed to fit perfectly the long orange skirt and white tank top that made her auburn hair and grey eyes seemed to pop out, also, the shy smile on her face only added to her exquisite beauty. She was nothing like anything or anyone they've seen, but then again, judging by her incredible paleness, it was quite obvious she wasn't Hawaiian.

"Hello," they all said at the same time, making the situation about ten times more awkward than it already was.

"Hi," she replied shyly.

"She helped me with the suspect, at the beach," Danny's voice broke the silence.

Suspect? Did he just say she _helped_ him with the suspect?

"It's really nice to meet you, Catherine. Really. Uh- Danny.. can I have a word with you? In private." The way Steve said 'in private' was almost threatening but Catherine didn't seem to notice that and just nodded in response to what he said to her.

"What?" asked Danny once they were in Steve's office.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Just because I wasn't there you had to ask some model to help you? That guy is dangerous! Why did you bring her into the case?"

"Wha- Really? You're preposterous! I didn't ask her to help me.. And she's not a model."

"Whatever! You shouldn't have done this! Now her safety is jeopardized!"

"Relax," said Danny calmly, like that was the most natural thing in the world. "Everything's fine."

"FI- FINE?" Steve's voice was a bit louder than the usual. "You got that model-ish on the beach to help you getting a suspect and you say it's fine? That's really not like you, Danny. Jesus.. Now we'll have to put surveillance on her and that will reduce our people."

"Hey, stop it, alright. I didn't get her to help me. She just did. And will you stop saying that? Catherine is not a freaking model who will need surveillance."

"Really? Catherine won-" Steve was getting furious. He just could not believe how reckless Danny could be. Sure she was damn beautiful but that? That was unbelievable. He rubbed the palm of his hands on his eyes.

"No. She won't. Because she is a Federal Agent and I really believe she won't need any of us following her around."

Steve's eyes went wide open. That girl? Federal Agent? "What?"

"Exactly!" Danny almost yelled at Steve. His face was hilarious. "I know.. I didn't believe at first either."

"You can't be se-" Steve's eyes flew to where Catherine was and he saw she was talking to Chin and Kono and holding something in her hands. A badge.

"See. She'll be just fine," said Danny after leaving Steve alone.

"Hi," said Steve once he finally joined the rest of the 5-0 team less than a minute later. "I'm sorry.. about that."

Catherine smiled; she knew exactly what he was talking about. "It's alright," she said politely and Steve just could not believe how that woman became a cop.

.

Blinking twice, his mind returned to the present, where he was still locked up and now, handcuffed. Thinking about Catherine made him almost smile; she was a friend and they get along well.. But she was also a Federal Agent, so he couldn't possibly know what was about to happen.

"The FBI's involved.." That wasn't exactly a question because Chin had said before she was there to investigate Pat Jameson's death, but still, Steve got a little tense when Chin remained silent; he started to get seriously worried.

"Danny called her," he said simply, while opening the cell so Steve could leave. It took him a while til he stepped out of the cubicle. "Let's go.. She's waiting."

Steve looked at Chin before following him; he was apprehensive and feeling lost, and he didn't like those feelings.

**xxx**

The small room Chin left Catherine had this cold and sterile look. It had a table and three chairs made of steel and a clock hanging on the wall, which, by the way, wasn't working. That was it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Catherine occupied a chair while waiting for Steve. Glancing at the clock on her wrist, she realized it was still on DC time. It says it was 10:37 pm, but in Hawaii was only 4:37 pm.. Suddenly, she regretted spending the last night awake. Catherine could almost hear Jacob's voice saying "I told you so", and even in his head, it was so incredibly freaking annoying. She yawned. The two hours of sleep she had during the flight didn't help very much and she could feel her body was starting to get tired. Standing up, she began to pace. Stupid jetlag..

She had her back to the door when someone knocked.

"Hey," called Chin, through a small opening. "Steve's here."

"Alright," she said turning on her heels, facing him. "Let him in."

Chin's face vanished. Less than a second later, the door went wide open and there he was. Steve J. McGarrett. Wow.. He was even more handsome than she remembered.

His short dark hair, his piercing blue-ish eyes, his strong jaw, those lips that suddenly cracked into what seemed to be a smile. She just couldn't avoid; Steve McGarrett was and still is the most incredible man that Catherine's eyes ever had the pleasure to see.

"Hi," she said when he passed through the doors and someone closed it from the outside.

"Hi, how are you doing?" he replied very politely.

"I'm.. uh, good, why are you wearing those?" she asked pointing the handcuffs.

"I was told to," said Steve.

"I see.. Will you excuse me for just a second?" Steve just nodded as she walked towards the door.

Right outside, she spotted Chin's back - he was on his way back to his Office. With five long steps, Catherine reached him.

"Chin, hi. Me again. Could you remove Steve's cuff? They won't be necessary."

Chin considered that request for a while, but then he nodded. They were in the precinct, crowded with officers and she was a Federal Agent. It's not like he didn't trust Steve - he did. He trusted him with his life, but right now, Chin was sure there were eyes on him, waiting to see if he'd slip.

"Alright," he agreed.

"Thank you," said Catherine with a big smile.

Back in the room, Chin released Steve's hands and the two men shared a look. There was some tension there, but nothing she wasn't expecting; they were friends and now, things were a bit messy, but, hopefully, things would get better.

Catherine's eyes went from Steve to Chin and the back to Steve, and she held her gaze on him for a while.

"Here you go," said Chin, bringing Catherine back from wherever she was. That distant expression didn't go unnoticed; both men were staring at her. "Call me when you're done."

"Will do. Thank you," she said walking with him to the door. "Oh, Chin.. Wait a second!"

"What's wrong?"

Catherine took her flight ticked she kept in one of the inside pockets of her jacket along with a pen. She quickly wrote a few words and, folding it twice, she handed it to Chin.

"Danny Williams is outside. Could you give this to him?"

Chin took the piece of paper and looked at it for a split second. "Sure."

"Thank you.. I'll call you when we're done here," said Catherine pointing to herself and Steve.

Chin looked one more time to Steve and to her before closing the door. He was seriously hoping that she could help him. And Kono.

.

Walking to the entrance of the building, Chin spotted Danny's silver Camaro right in front of it. Holding the message Catherine wanted him to give Danny, he didn't even try to look at its content.

"Danny," called Chin.

Danny was inside his car and the radio was on so he didn't hear the first time Chin called his name.

"Danny," he called again and this time Danny heard.

Chin was standing right outside the passenger's door, looking at him. Danny didn't say a word for about five long seconds.

"What?" he asked. His voice was cold and sharp, but he didn't regret it. He was still mad at Chin.

"I have a message for you," explained Chin very politely. "From Catherine."

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's talking to Steve now.. She asked me to give you this," he said handing her flight ticket.

"Thank you," Danny muttered while reaching for it.

"Danny, I-" Chin wanted to say something but Danny didn't let him.

"Not now, Chin. Just.. Not now."

Chin shifted his glance to the pavement; suddenly the concrete looked very interesting. "Alright," he muttered. "Alright.."

Danny didn't say a word, he just stood in his car as Chin made his way back to the precinct.

Leaning back on the seat, he sighed. Why? Why was that going on? He couldn't find the stupid answer. Then, his eyes flew to the piece of paper Chin handed him. It was just her flight ticket, but when he turned it, he could read the lines she wrote quickly.

_Get a doctor or medical examiner. Someone who understands about crime stuff. I want to run some exams on S. immediately._

Danny frowned. She was very specific but he couldn't help but wonder why the hell would Steve need that? And what kind of exams she wanted to be done?

Folding back the paper, he started his car and pulled out of the place he'd parked. He knew exactly who he would go for help.

.

Catherine closed the door carefully after giving Chin the message to Danny; she hoped he would understand and bring the right professional, and fast.

Turning to face Steve, she noticed he hadn't seat. Catherine hoped the weird sensation in her guts were due to the lack of sleep.

"So, why don't we have a seat?" she said, walking to the desk and let her body fall gracefully on a chair. Her eyes followed Steve as he sat right in front of her. Catherine's eyes could easily see Steve's guard completely up; that wasn't exactly unexpected given his extremely strong alpha male personality. That almost brought a smile to her face - it was almost like the first time they met. Steve didn't trust people easily and that was something she understood perfectly.

"Danny's here," said Steve; Catherine nodded.

"Yes, he's outside, waiting for me.."

He pouted and remained silent. Catherine couldn't help but look at those lips one more time, but quickly enough so he couldn't notice her glance.

"How are you?" she asked, genuine concern written all over her face. "I mean, except for the last couple of days or so.. How are you doing?"

"Well, except for the part where I'm being charged of a crime I didn't commit, I'm pretty good, thanks. You?"

Catherine chuckled. Not that she thought that was funny because clearly it was not. But seeing Steve doing small talk.. that was quite humorous. Also, she realized it was nice to be back. If she was honest enough, she would admit she missed the place.. and the people.

"I'm good, thank you," replied Catherine.

"You seem tired," said Steve matter-of-factly, locking his eyes on Catherine's. She couldn't avoid a smile.

"Well, you're right.. I am a little tired. And am I wrong saying you are too?" she asked, not breaking eye contact.

Steve nodded; the shadow of a smile appeared on his face for less than a second - it was almost imperceptible. "I had a long night.."

Catherine nodded. "So I heard.. I did too," her voice was calm, so calm that Steve felt the nervousness grow a little bit more.

"Really? How so?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I was.. working."

He knew she wasn't saying everything, and, deep down, he suspected it was because he was the main suspect of murdering the Governor. "Fun. I was being arrested."

She could feel traces of anger in Steve's words, but chose to pretend she didn't notice that. He was mad, she knew that, so, she kept her poker face on and decided to keep going to wherever it was going to.

"I've been told."

"Danny called you." Steve's cocky and blunt attitude didn't shake Catherine. On the other hand, she was expecting that. She knew he had a strong personality and he didn't like not being in control, and that was exactly what was happening to him since yesterday. Now, he was just trying to regain control, and Catherine knew better than to push him too far.

"Yes, he did."

"And the Bureau sent you."

"Not exactly.."

For the first time, Steve let go of the shield he'd raised. "I don't get it."

Catherine took a deep breath and leaned back on her chair. That was the first move she did since they started that so-called conversation. "Well, you see, Danny called me last night, in the middle of the night, he told me what happened, I packed, then I called my boss, told him briefly what I knew and said I was coming to Hawaii. He could've said I shouldn't come, but he chose not to. So yeah, I guess you can say the Bureau sent me, but I'd come even if I was told not to."

Steve almost smiled. It would be nice to work with her by her side.. but then again, she wasn't exactly taking sides there, and Steve was a suspect. Actually, the only suspect so far.

"So, you're gonna investigate Governor Jameson's death," said Steve. That wasn't exactly a question.

"Yes, I will."

"Great. Really great. Thanks Danno.." Steve chuckled and Catherine just kept staring at him. He was nervous, she could tell that. "Do I need a lawyer?" he asked, leaning on his chair, she could see he was raising his guard one more time.

"That depends. Did you or did you not kill Governor Pat Jameson?"

She had to ask that, and Steve didn't quite like it. After she asked it, Catherine could feel Steve's eyes staring deep into her soul and she felt naked, as in being completely vulnerable, and that was really uncomfortable. The look on his face was not friendly at all. That man knew how to make someone fear him without wearing a badge, a gun, anything, not even words. She did her best not to shiver and break the eye contact; she almost smiled on the inside when she succeeded.

"No," he said finally. "I **did not** kill Pat Jameson." His words came out with sharp edges and they would hurt very badly if it was possible.

"Great! Then a lawyer won't be necessary." Catherine had this big smile on her face. Steve arched one brow; she was quite a mystery. "Unless you want one."

"I think I'll pass.. For now."

"Okay. Could you please, explain to me what happened at Jameson's house?"

"Why? I bet you already heard what happened."

"Sure. I heard a couple of versions, but I'd like to hear what **you** have to say."

Leaning back on his chair, he gave her his version of the events. "Right after Laura was murdered, I found evidence that Governor Jameson knew that she was the one sending my father's evidences back to me. Then, I learned that Laura's death was most likely caused by Wo Fat. The most reasonable explanation was that she and Wo Fat were working together. So I broke into her house to get a confession, not to kill her. But Wo Fat was there. He killed the governor; not me."

Catherine pondered that for a while. "Alright," she said nodding. Then, she stood up and walked towards the door.

"Hey, wait a minute," called Steve. He had this confused expression. "That's it?"

Catherine stopped. She reached for the doorknob but she let go and turned to face Steve again. "For now, yes."

"Okay. Stop. Would you explain what exactly are you doing here? Because, whatever you're trying to do.. I'm not following!" Steve stood up and with two steps, he closed the distance between them. They were both standing tall, close to each other, but not too close.

Catherine sighed when she glanced at her clock. 5:03 pm.. Where was Danny? She was tired and getting slightly frustrated; she was ready for any reaction Steve might have, but she didn't foresee that combined to her lack of sleep.

Taking one step forward and willingly invading Steve's personal space, Catherine spoke slowly. "I'm not **trying** to do anything, McGarrett. I'm here because of you. And Kono. Danny asked for my help so I came. And that's.. That's **exactly** what I'm doing here."

She regretted her words almost immediately - it was mainly her drained body speaking - but she wouldn't back off. She was too stubborn to do that. And apparently, Steve was too.

Catherine could see every single detail of Steve's eyes and fell the air coming out of his lungs mixed with his natural scent, just like Steve could smell the fragrance of her shampoo. Thanks to her stilettos, she could practically face Steve eye to eye.

None of them seemed aware of how close they were now, and, suddenly, Catherine felt that long lost wave of emotions taking over her body.

When she went to Hawaii about a year ago, she wasn't exactly looking for any relationships or the possibility of a future one. On the other hand, she was avoiding that at all costs.

Less than a month after her trip to the Island, she terminated her engagement; she dated the guy for three years and they were engaged for four months when it all came to an end. It was inevitable, and they were just postponing it but still, she needed some time for herself. The last thing she wanted was meet someone and have feelings towards this someone. Ironically, that was exactly what happened. She didn't went on a date or anything like that during her short time in Hawaii but, when she was to leave the island, she felt like there was a hand inside her chest, squeezing her heart and guts. She had fallen for a guy; and the guy was Steve McGarrett. Just her luck.

Catherine spend the next few days, maybe more, trying to forget him, after all, the odds were all against her. So, back in DC, she did her best to suppress any feelings she might've had, just like she did while she was still in the Island. She hid it all, locked up somewhere deep. But now, standing in front of each other, eye to eye, Catherine felt the barrier she put up a long time ago, tumble down in a matter of seconds; less than that, microseconds.

None of them broke the eye contact; they seemed to be somewhere else, completely unaware of the world around. Only when someone knocked on the door, they realized how close they were.

. . .

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Hi. Thanks for reading this! I think this was a nice chapter.. what do you think? Leave feedback to help me improve my writing! Once again, thank you :)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for the reviews and everything people! And a special thank you for the lovely **_SugarMuffin08_**! You're awesome, woman!  
><strong>

**PS:**_ As always, if you find something very very wrong or awkward, please, tell me! Constructive critique is always welcome!_**  
><strong>

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><p><em>None of them broke the eye contact; they seemed to be somewhere else, completely unaware of the world around. Only when someone knocked on the door, they realized how close they were.<em>

.

The knock made Steve realize how close he was to Catherine, but he wasn't the first to make a move. On the other hand, he stood there still.

_That woman is like a lion_, he thought. _A very pleasant mix of beauty and seduction with a hint of danger_.

When Steve met Catherine, he couldn't deny she was beautiful. God, he thought she was a model! But he also noticed during the short time they spend together - with the rest of the 5-0 team - that, even though she was outgoing and frisky, she was also reserved and quiet. It was instinctively, when someone got too close, she pushed them. He saw that quite several times the night before her flight. They went to a bar and, whenever some guy tried to approach her, she locked herself. Not that Steve didn't like that - on the other hand, it annoyed him more than he was willing to admit when a random guy start talking to her, and when she turned them down and walked away, he smiled inside - but he really wondered what was causing her to behave like that.

In fact, he didn't take her off of his mind even after she left. That woman.. There was something about her that made him want to know more, to see more.

Now that she was back, Steve couldn't help but wondering if there was a man in her life.. Someone who was brave and bold enough to get close to that wild feline. And right there, while looking deep into her eyes, he wished he was that guy. He wanted to be the one who would get to know the unique and exquisite Catherine Taylor.

.

Catherine was the one to snap out of the trance and return to reality. Taking one step to her left, she avoided being hit by the door for only inches.

Danny stood by the door; his eyes going from Steve then to Catherine and all the way back a few times. The tension in that room was so evident and thick it could be cut with a knife.

"Hey," he said carefully. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," they both answered at the same time, causing Danny to arch an eyebrow and give Steve a suspicious smile, what earned him one of Steve's killing looks.

"No, of course not," said Catherine while sitting on the edge of the table and Steve went back to his chair. "So, uh- did you my message? You brought what I asked?"

Steve's eyes flew from Danny, to Catherine then back to Danny. He had no idea what was going on.

"Yes, I did. You'll need him now?" asked Danny, still standing by the door.

"Who?" asked Steve but none of them answered him.

"Sure," she said standing up. "Just, let me get Chin first.."

"What are you guys talking about?" Steve went unnoticed one more time.

"I'll do it," said Danny. "I'll bring both here.."

"Thanks Danny," said Catherine, giving him a wide opened smile.

Steve felt something inside him and he convinced himself it was because he didn't like being ignored and not because of the proximity between Catherine and Danny. She and Danny immediately clicked; it was like they were kindergarten friends - unbelievable.

"Oh, Danny!" Catherine called before he left. "I'll need a recorder too."

"Alright. Something else?"

"Uh.. No. That would be it. Thanks."

"No problem."

Right after Danny left and closed the door, Catherine turned to face Steve.

"Are you seeing someone, Commander?"

Steve opened his mouth just a little but no word or sound came out and he looked at her blankly for a second. That was so very much unexpected. But of course, Catherine didn't miss any of his reactions.

"I'll repeat myself," she said; placing both hands on the desk, she slightly leant her body towards Steve. "Before going to Jameson's house, were you with someone?"

"Exactly what kind of question is that?" asked Steve, leaning back on his chair.

"Strictly professional," she said. He didn't exactly buy that. "Just answer, please."

"No," he admitted, locking his eyes on hers. "Yesterday I spend the whole day alone; I wasn't with anyone or seeing anyone."

"Good," she said, standing tall again.

"Wait, what was that all about?" questioned Steve, but once again, he didn't have any answers because that exact same moment the door went wide open and three men get into the room.

"Here it is," said Danny the moment he got into the room. "A voice recorder.."

"Thank you," she said as she reached for it and turned it on immediately. Placing it on the table, she had now her attention on the small group of men in the room. Chin walked right behind Danny and another guy was following them.

"So, this is Max Bergman," said Danny pointing to the smiley guy and completely ignoring Chin. "He's a doctor who works as a coroner in the Honolulu Police Department."

"Nice to meet you," said Max, reaching out and shaking Catherine's hand.

"Catherine. My name's Catherine."

"Catherine," repeated Max. "It's a pretty name.. Fits you perfectly."

"Oh thanks, that's.. incredibly nice of you," she replied very flattered.

"Alright, would anyone explain what is going on here?" questioned Chin, speaking exactly what Danny, Steve and even Max were thinking.

"I asked Danny to find a medical examiner because I need a professional opinion on something completely relevant to the Governor's case," said Catherine, and the four men just kept staring at her like she was speaking Russian or some other language.

"Doctor Bergman, would you please..?" Catherine didn't even finish her sentence when Max took her side. "Thank you. Now, it is my belief that Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, even though being the main suspect, is not responsible for the murder of Governor Pat Jameson."

They all remained silent after she spoke. Steve's eyes were locked on Catherine's back, given the fact that she was standing right in front of him.

"You know I have to ask you why do you think that," said Chin.

"Sure, that's why I asked Danny to bring an expert."

Max looked at her, not quite sure what was his role there.

"Alright.." muttered Chin.

"Doctor Bergman," continued Catherine, now standing by Steve's side. "As a doctor and a coroner working for the HPD, I'd like to have your opinion on this mark right here."

She pointed to Steve's left side of his neck. There were two dark points, very visible now. Leaning closer, Max adjusted his eyes so he could have a better look.

"They're burn marks," he said seriously. Chin, Danny and Steve were all paying extra attention.

"Most likely caused by..?"

"Well, they're very singular.. I've seen those in people who were attacked with stun guns."

Steve suddenly felt a spark of hope lightning inside his chest.

"Alright," said Catherine with a nod. Her expression was deadly serious and she was totally being a professional. "Do you have an idea of how long it was caused? When the stun gun was used against the Lieutenant Commander?"

"It's hard to be extremely precise because, well, Steve's not dead, but, judging by the coloration of the bruises, I'd say about twenty hours ago. It could be less but not more."

"And I assume that's approximately the hour when the Governor was murdered, am I correct?"

"Approximately, yes," agreed Chin. He didn't notice those marks last night.

"Uh- also," said Max one more time. "The depth and the damage inflicted to his skin are pretty aggressive. I'd also add that the voltage was either very high or the person who was holding it, held the object against his skin for a long time."

"High or long enough to paralyze Steve for a while or.. or knock him unconscious?" questioned Danny.

"Yes, I believe so," concluded Max.

"Alright. Thank you, Dr Bergman.. Now, if I'm not mistaken, no such thing as a stun gun was found at the crime scene, am I correct?"

"Yes.. Yes, you are correct," confirmed Chin. His mind was working really fast now.

"So, I believe the more obvious conclusion we have here is that Lieutenant Commander, even though he was the only person found at the crime scene, is not the only suspect of the crime, and there's someone else out there who can be involved," said Catherine. She was speaking only to Chin.

"Right.." he muttered. Then, looking deep into Catherine's eyes, he understood what was her point. "He didn't do it."

"I don't think he did," said Catherine.

Still looking at Catherine, Chin opened a shy smile and she smiled back. She did it. That woman was brilliant.

Catherine took the recorder and turned it off. Giving it to Chin, she spoke once again. "I'd like to have a copy of this, also, we'll need to have photographic register of Steve's burn marks along with a written registry from the doctor."

"Sure," said Chin. Even his voice was now less tense. "Will do it."

"Great, thank you," said Catherine gently.

"I'll get someone to walk you to have these photographed and Doctor Bergman will go with you to sign the medical record," Chin told Steve, and he could see how glad and sorry he was for arresting him. Steve nodded as Chin called for an Officer and explained him what he had to do.

"I'll go with them," announced Danny. "I'll go with Steve and Dr Bergman too."

The Officer looked at Chin and he nodded in agreement; with a last glance to Catherine, the three men left, leaving her alone with Chin.

"You did it," said Chin. They walked to his office so he could get the paperwork done and she, Danny and Steve could go. His voice wasn't louder than a whisper, and then he spoke louder. "You did what I couldn't do." He was happy because Steve was free, but at the same time, he felt sad.. He missed that detail. How could he miss that? He was a trained cop, he should've seen his marks..

Catherine stood in front of his desk, while he was on the other side.

"Hey," she said softly. "I did it with your help.."

"My help? I didn't do anything.." Chin's eyes were focused on his work.

"You didn't believe he was guilty, Chin. You were struggling to accept that that was true," she said as she sat in the chair in front of him.

"But I arrested him!" He raised his head quickly; his eyes were even darker and deeper. "And I didn't see the marks.."

Now she could understand. He felt guilty.

"Hey.. It's okay now. He's free. It doesn't really matter.."

"He's free.. And they're hating me."

"They're not _hating_ you, Chin," said Catherine, leaning forward. "They're just.. frustrated. A lot happened and they're dealing with. They're confused and sort of mad, but they do not hate you."

"With all possible respect, Kate," said Chin raising his head to face her. "You don't know that.."

Catherine inhaled deeply. He had a point. She didn't know; she wasn't part of their family.. She didn't even work with a team.

"You're right," she said after a moment of silence. "You're right, I don't know. I don't know what's going on because I just got here. And what's happening between all of you, I don't know that either. I didn't have time to figure it out yet, but I will and I'll do what I can do to make things better. Because, you know, I may not be a part of this thing you and Steve and Danny and Kono have going on here.. But I know for a fact that what you guys have, is way more stronger than this crisis."

Chin paid attention to every word she said. Just like Steve, he found himself wondering what on Earth happened in her life to turn her into the woman he was facing right now. She was brilliant and loyal, but she was also a bit aloof, kept everyone in a safe distance, but why? And the things she said.. There was more to that than she was willing to talk.

Her voice brought he back from his wander.

"I'll talk to them."

"You don't have to.."

"I know.. But, I want to. I don't think it'll do any good if you keep avoiding one another. You're great together.. why settle for less?"

"I'm not settling for less, I just-"

"Don't," she cut him. "Let me try. If it doesn't work, well, things can't get worse.. I mean, you and Danny are already avoiding each other at all costs as far as I know."

He gave up. Catherine was right; Danny didn't talk to him and Steve.. Well, knowing Steve like Chin knew, he was willing to bet his trust was at least very shaken.

"Alright," he muttered. "Alright, but.. If you don't mind my asking, why are you doing this?"

"Because.. even though we met a long time ago, I- I like to believe we are.. colleagues, at least." Catherine flinched. Her voice failed a couple of times and that didn't go unnoticed.

"Right," said Chin simply. He knew it wasn't everything, but he also knew better than to pry.

Catherine yawned. That quietness was definitely not doing any good.

"You look exhausted," said Chin and she just chuckled.

"Do I?"

"Yes. And those dark circles under your eyes agree with me," he said playfully. "Jetlag?"

"Sort of," she answered while rubbing her eyes.

"Alright.. We just need to wait for the pictures and you're good to go. All of you."

Catherine and Chin shared a glance and a smile before an Officer knocked on his door; he had an envelope in his hand and handed it to Chin.

"Thanks," he said as he took the envelope to check its content. It was the pictures of Steve McGarrett's marks. "I want a copy of those, please.

"Alright. You need them now, Sir?"

"Yes. Now."

"Okay," replied the young man and left.

Catherine turned to face Chin one more time.

"Here," he said offering her the envelope with the pictures. "I'll give you a copy of the tape as soon as possible."

"Thank you very much." Catherine smiled politely as she took the envelope from Chin's hands. "I appreciate your cooperation, Lieutenant."

"Please. Just Chin. When people call me Lieutenant it feels.. awkward."

Chuckling silently, she nodded. "Alright then, Chin. Let me know when you have the copy of that tape. I just want to keep it for register, you know.. I might need it later."

"Sure. Just.. Where are you staying? I can call your hotel when I have it."

"Oh, I still need to find a hotel, but.. Uh- here." She took a piece of paper and wrote her number. "This is my phone. You can call anytime."

Chin took it and saved it on his contact list.

"Alright.. So.. Thank you," he said standing up and walking to her.

"Why are you thanking me?" asked Catherine curious, leaving the seat empty.

"For doing what I couldn't do."

"Chin, please. Don't do that to yourself. Besides, don't thank me yet. My job here's not done; I still need to check Kono. And we need to work on the murderer case.."

"We?"

"I'd like to have your assistance, Lieut- Chin."

They both laughed shortly.

"And I'd love to help but.. Danny and Steve-"

"Relax!" Catherine interrupted him loudly. "It won't be a problem, trust me."

"I do."

"Great," she said; the huge smile on her face made Chin smile as well. "Now, if you don't mind I have some other things to do.."

"Of course not." He opened the door so she could pass through it. Steve, Danny and Max were all waiting for her nearby and Chin flinched - he didn't want any more trouble - and Catherine noticed.

"Don't worry, things will be fine," she said, rubbing his left arm softly. "Call me if you get anything, or if you need me."

"Will do, thanks."

"Don't mention it.."

With one last smile, Catherine walked to where the guys were. Danny and Steve had this serious expression and she could only imagine the reason.

"So, shall we?" she said simply after joining them.

"Sure," said Steve quickly. He wanted to get out of that precinct as soon as possible and, with Danny leading the way, they walked quickly to the exit and then to Danny's silver Camaro.

Max had driven to the precinct so he left in his own car; Steve and Catherine were using Danny's car.

"So, Catherine," asked Danny while Steve pulled the car out of the spot where it was parked. "What now?"

"Oh.. Uh- I need to find a hotel," Catherine answered from the back seat.

"You didn't book any?" Steve asked.

"Uh- no, I didn't have much time, you know.. Why? Without a previous reservation I won't find any hotel rooms?" Catherine suddenly was wide awake.

"Of course you'll find one, don't worry." Danny answered her quickly.

"Thank God!" Catherine was relieved. "You better be right, Dan, because if I don't find a hotel room, I'm totally spending the night in your car."

They all laughed and the mood lightened. Catherine would die for a shower and a bed.

"Can we please find me a hotel really fast?"

Steve looked at the woman in the back seat. She was exhausted.

"Forget the hotel, you can stay in my house," said Steve simply.

Catherine opened her eyes quickly; she and Danny looked at Steve, while he kept driving like nothing happened. Catherine was the first to speak.

"Wow.. Thanks.. That's uh- that's incredibly nice but it's fine, you don't need to do that. I'll jus-"

"It's alright. We're not too far from it and you can rest," said Steve, ignoring Danny with his eyes and mouth wide open by his side.

"That's really not necessary, Steve, I-"

"I insist. You got me out of jail, this is the least I can do."

"But-"

"No buts. Just.. Stop talking about hotels. I'll even let you pay for staying at my place if that makes you feel better."

Catherine tried to argue but it would be pointless and she was too tired to even think about reasons to say no to Steve's invitation. That and the fact that part of her was actually happy that she would be spending more time with Steve McGarrett.

"Alright... But I am not paying," she said with a smile, and Steve just grinned in response.

Leaning back on the seat, Catherine prayed that they got there very soon. It was just 5:19pm, but everything she wanted to do was shower and sleep. That was all.

.

Five minutes later, the car stopped. Catherine was almost asleep in the back seat and she snapped her eyes open when she heard the doors opening.

"Here we are," said Steve while Danny helped her to get out of the car. "Welcome to my place."

"Wow.. It's beautiful."

Steve's house was nothing like she expected. Even looking from the outside, Catherine thought it looked like a family lived there; a family with a husband and wife, their three children and a dog. Not an ex-SEAL.

"I'm glad you like it. Come on in," said Steve, while Danny got her quite huge bag.

"Oh, let me get this, Dan," she said reaching for her baggage.

"No, no.. I get this, it's okay," he said

"Alright.. Don't tell me I didn't offer to help you with my own stuff.."

"I won't," he said smiling.

.

As they entered, Catherine just could not help but examine the place. It was more than just a house - it was a home, and she immediately felt welcome. It was an odd feeling but she felt almost protected.

Danny stood by her side and followed her eyes through every corner and every inch of the house. Steve was nowhere to be found.

"Different than what you were expecting?" asked Danny amused.

"Sort of, yes," she said looking at Danny. "Unexpected, but in a good way."

"Hey," said Steve coming out of nowhere. "Can I get you anything?"

"A beer would be nice," said Danny and Steve just eyed him.

"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to her," replied Steve and Catherine felt her cheeks blush.

"Uh- no, thank you.. I'm fine.. I guess," she muttered as Danny left her bag next to the couch to get himself a beer from Steve's fridge. "Can I use your bathroom?"

Steve pointed the direction and followed her with his eyes as she walked towards it.

"Hey, Steve," called Danny. He was standing by the door with a beer on his hand. His eyes weren't playful and neither his attitude.

"What?"

"Do I really need to tell you what?" he pierced Steve with his eyes; he just sighed.

"No. Please, don't." He knew what Danny was talking about. Catherine.

Danny and Catherine had this crazy thing going on. They met while Danny was working and suddenly, _boom!_ Instant best friends. And, maybe it was because he was a parent or maybe he was just like that, but Danny was protective towards the ones he care about and with Catherine, Steve thought, wasn't different.

"Good. Because it would be awkward.."

"Yeah," agreed Steve, grabbing a beer.

"Great, so.. Behave, alright."

"Don't I always?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Just.. Behave. Don't be.. you know, you."

"Relax, Danny. It's not like I will attack her or something. My God.."

"Okay, good to know. So, I have to go now.. I'll have dinner with Gracie. See you tomorrow." Danny stopped by the door, addressing one last glance at Steve.

"Bye, Danny," said Steve closing the door right after his blonde partner walked through it.

.

"Where's Dan?"

Catherine left the bathroom shortly after Danny left. The way she just called Danny 'Dan' shouldn't bother Steve.. but deep down, it did. A lot.

"He just left. He's having dinner with Gracie.."

"Oh, cool."

An awkward silence almost fell upon them, but Catherine decided she couldn't be bothered with that.

"I'll take a shower now if you don't mind," she said simply. She had washed her face, trying to get rid of the tiredness but it didn't work, so, she would stick to the original plan, that was shower and sleep.

"No. No, I don't mind at all."

"Great, thanks."

Catherine took some clothes off of her bag that was still where Danny left it, and vanished through the bathroom's door one more time.

Once she was alone again, Catherine took a few deep breaths and whispered to herself.

"He's just being friendly, Cat. Just being friendly. Besides, you're working with him. Don't forget that."

.

Right after Catherine went for her shower, Steve let his body fall on his couch. He didn't stay in jail for too long but that short time was more than just enough. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back; being home never felt so great.

Inhaling deeply, he smelled Catherine Taylor's perfume. Snapping his eyes wide open, he searched for her presence but she wasn't there.

Rubbing his face with his hands, he stood up and went to the kitchen. Cooking wasn't exactly his thing, but he thought it would be a good distraction, and he was damn hungry.

No need to mention how his enterprise in the kitchen didn't work as he was expecting. The whole time he had his thoughts on the woman that was currently in his bathroom.

Just the image of Catherine Taylor showering almost made Steve lose his mind. Imagining the water running down her body, touching every inch of her skin was driving him crazy. He felt his body was getting tense and something starting to grow within him - he shivered. Blinking a couple of times, he quickly opened the tap and washed his face with the cold water. It helped very little, the water was only adding to his illusion.

He snapped out of his trance when he realized whatever he was trying to cook was burning.

"Shit!" he hissed. _What is it that this Catherine is affecting me this much?_

This Catherine. There was another Catherine in his life, but, right now, she was completely off of his mind.

Steve gave up on the cooking thing, grabbed a beer and went outside. Sitting at the beach, he stayed there, trying to organize his thoughts. He was debating with himself whether he could or could not trust Catherine. He knew her, sure, but it was a long time ago when they met and things change. She was a dedicated and very professional FBI agent according to the personal research Steve made when Danny walked with her into the 5-0 HQ. Plus, she came to Hawaii and got him released. But why? Why she did that? They didn't see each other in over eleven months?

Steve was willing to trust her, but all recent events made him question the reasons why she was there, and in such short time.

Watching the waves crash on the shoreline, he decided that a little swim would be nice to clear his mind. Taking off his shirt, he tossed it somewhere behind and ran towards the ocean.

The feeling of the sand under his feet and the wind on his face and bare chest was very calming, and when he hit the ocean, the cold water made him forget every problem and every doubt.

With the waves pushing and pulling his body, the water above his head, Steve felt like the prison and everything else was just a bad, a very bad dream, but, as he addressed a glance towards his place, something made him thought that it all came with some sort of happiness to make things up a little bit.

. . .

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_I'm not sure about this chapter but I tried to do my best. I promise. So, I totally encourage you to tell me what you think about this_ _:) Thank you all!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you everyone who's still with me, the 5-0s and my Catherine! You're all too great for words!**

**Once again, **_SugarMuffin08_**, thanks for everything and I hope I won't disappoint you now :)**

**A/N:**_ I'd like to apologize in advance.. I didn't do much edit on this chapter so, please, let me know if you find something that's very very wrong or awkward._

* * *

><p><em>With the waves pushing and pulling his body, the water above his head, Steve felt like the prison and everything else was just a bad, a very bad dream, but, as he addressed a glance towards his place, something made him thought that it all came with some sort of happiness to make things up a little bit.<em>

.

About thirty minutes later, Catherine walked out of the bathroom. She decided to wash her hair and the warm water was so soothing and relaxing that she lost track of time. Wearing a black pair of sweatpants and a white tank top, she slowly walked through his place, but didn't find Steve anywhere downstairs.

"Steve?" she called for him next to the stair. "Steve, are you up there?" No answer. "Hellooo?"

He didn't seem to be inside, so she decided to try out there, but not without any backup. She was an FBI agent and her life experience taught her to never let her guard down, so, tossing the wet towel on the ground, she opened her baggage and fished for something inside - a box containing her Smith & Wesson Model 500. Taking a short time to load it, she kept her gun in position while walking slowly and stealthy to the back of his house. The tiredness gave place to her instincts.

Outside, her eyes instantly flew to a black T-shirt lying on the sand along with an almost empty beer bottle and she felt every muscle of her body tense. Clearing the area, her feet touched the sand and she went to where Steve's shirt was discarded. Catherine was operating on high alert mode with all of her senses sharp, but when she looked at the ocean and recognized a tattoo, she allowed her body to relax.

Steve went for a swim and she felt like she was overreacting. Smiling weakly, Catherine lowered her arm and her gun but not her guard. Holding the shinny weapon tight on her grip, she let her body fall on the sand.

It was about six o'clock and the view was breathtaking. The sunshine reflecting on the ocean and on its waves was something she thought she'd never see again. It was so beautiful and peaceful, almost like a happily ever after promise.

.

Steve walked out of the ocean and noticed a lonely figure sitting almost exactly where he was moments ago; a small smile appeared on his face but didn't last too long. The huge gun on her hand could not be unseen. He almost ran to meet with her.

"What's wrong?" asked when he was only a few steps away from Catherine. His eyes flickering from her hand to her face.

"Uh- nothing," she said simply.

"Nothing?" Steve said dubiously. "**That** doesn't seem like nothing," he pointed to her gun.

"Yeah.. I- I just thought something had happened.. I left the shower and you were nowhere to be found." Catherine's eyes met Steve's as he sat by her side. "I am an cop. It was pure instinct."

"Right," he muttered. Steve remained still; he could see worry mixed with preoccupation in her eyes and in her voice.

"I'm sorry," he said shyly.

Catherine tilted her head in sign of confusion. "What for?"

"For all the trouble I caused you.."

"Don't," she said. She raised her hand and almost pressed her finger to his lips so he could just stop talking but she decided not to and just waved. "Don't be sorry for anything I did, because I certainly am not."

Steve's eyes were locked on hers and she felt a shiver down her spine. Praying he didn't notice her body reaction, she cleared her throat and looked away.

"So, will you explain me what happened in your kitchen?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, that.. Uh, I was trying to cook."

She arched an eyebrow after hearing his answer. "Really? That's quite interesting.. For a moment, I thought you were trying to set your house on fire," she said playfully.

"I got.. distracted."

"With what? A wild lion?"

Steve chuckled. That was almost the exact same thought he had about her earlier that day. "Something like that.."

"Right.."

"Yeah, you know my weakness now," he said shyly and she laughed.

The sound of Catherine's laugh was so contagious and beautiful that Steve couldn't help but stare and smile with the view: her still wet hair was falling down her back and some were teasing her cheeks and her profile, illuminated by the sun, gave her a stunning look. He had to control himself to not reach for her, put her hair behind her ear and kiss her. God, he really wanted to do that - but he didn't.

"It's not funny," he said, faking a hurtful tone.

"I'm sorry, but it is," said Catherine in between laughs. She didn't notice Steve's intense stare towards her when she turned to face him again. Leaning a little closer, Catherine tried to control her laughs. "Don't worry, Lieutenant Commander.. your secret is safe with me."

Steve's eyes followed her lips as she whispered those last words; her reddish lips were incredibly tempting. They weren't even that close, but it was like they were inviting Steve to taste it.

"There's no need to call me Lieutenant Commander.. I'm not on duty."

Catherine was serious once again. Her ability to put her emotions on hold was damn impressive. "Yeah.. About that, I'd like to make you an offer."

"And what would that be?" Steve was being professional as well.

"I'd like to have your assistance with the investigations," said Catherine simply. No chit chat, no small talk. He liked that.

"Assistance? As in a consultant?"

"Pretty much, yes. What do you say?"

Steve bit his lower lip while considering her offer. He wanted to go after Wo Fat by himself and resolve everything his way. He didn't want Catherine to be involved with this kind of thing.

"Look, I'll leave you with your thoughts," she said as she stood up; her pants were full of sand so she ran her hands through it, trying to get it clean. "You can tell me what's your decision later," she spoke while making her way back to his house.

Steve stood there with his thoughts for a short while, then, grabbing his T-Shirt and the bottle of beer, he walked back to his house. Catherine was in his kitchen, throwing out his failed attempt to cook; the shinny silver weapon still with her, on the sink.

"I'll take it," he said simply. He thought that, whether he was working with her or not, she would go after Wo Fat anyways, so, because of that, Steve decided it would be better if they were together - that way they could help each other and he wouldn't be worried. At least not too much.

"Good," she offered him a genuine smile. "Now, why don't you go get rid of the salt and sand while I make something eatable?"

"You don't have to. We can just order something, you know.."

"No, it's okay. Just go and I'll figure something here."

With a last glance at Catherine's back, Steve walked out of the kitchen.

**xxx**

"This is delicious. Seriously."

Catherine made rice along with beef stroganoff, and Steve bought some wine.

"I think your standards weren't set too high," she said playfully while he finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher.

"Maybe.. But I can recognize good food, and this.. This is pretty great!"

Blushing slightly, she thanked his kindness. "You're just too nice.."

"I don't need to be nice," he said sharing a quick glance. "All I'm doing is being honest."

Catherine reached for her glass of wine - an attempt to keep her mouth busy for a while.

"Can I ask you something?" asked Steve after he had put everything in the machine.

"Sure.."

"What's with that gun?" he asked and Catherine nodded with a smile. She had put it on her bag before they had dinner and she noticed his constant glances at the item. "Why do you carry that?"

"Protection."

"Protection?" His eyes were wide open. "Alright. What exactly you're protecting yourself from?"

His voice was startled and that made Catherine laugh. "Nothing particularly. Why?"

"Because that gun is huge."

"It is not. You're exaggerating," she said with a shrug.

"You carry a .500 Smith & Wesson and I'm exaggerating. That's cool... Now, seriously, what happened to the standard Glock, SIG-Sauer?"

"I have those too, I just.. like this one a bit better. It's just a matter of preferences."

"You like silver and shiny," he said playfully.

"No," she replied using the same tone. "I like big and powerful."

Steve grinned while Catherine shrugs and turned on her heels.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, why exactly did you come to Hawaii?" he said once they left the kitchen and went to the living room. "I mean, you said Danny called you and asked your help, but.. Why you decided to attend his request? I mean.. Why? I don't understand."

Steve had occupied one end of the couch and Catherine the other.

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes! Yes, it matters to me."

The space between them seemed to grow shorter; Steve's eyes were intense and his body wasn't exactly relaxed. Not that Catherine was paying extra attention to his strong arms, broad shoulders, chest and abdomen and everything else - she wasn't really, but she could feel his intensity and it made her tense a little.

She wanted to look away and avoid drowning in the deepness of his hazelly-blue eyes but she didn't; breaking eye contact would show weakness and she was not the kind of woman who would willingly do that. Using all of her willpower she held the gaze.

"Why? Why is that so important to you?"

"Because. Answer my question. Please."

Steve's low and deep voice made Catherine shiver and she felt trapped. She had a wall behind her back and nowhere to run - not that she was thinking about running but she was not enjoying the position she got herself into. Feeling under pressure, not exactly because of Steve, Catherine forced her brain to think as fast as possible, trying to come up with a reasonable answer to why she was there.

"Danny."

Catherine's answer sounded more like she was thinking quite loudly rather than a proper answer.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Last time I was here, I said that if you ever need my help, you should call. Danny called, so I came."

Steve considered her words for a while. Everything about her was inspiring trust, but he wasn't convinced he could trust her; apparently, she noticed the doubt written all over his face.

"I keep my promises," said Catherine as she stood up. She understood perfectly that Steve couldn't trust her, and respected that.

"Wait."

Catherine felt his hand holding her right hand softly, just to stop her from taking one more step and felt her heart skip a beat. Turning around, she noticed he had stood up and found herself looking into Steve's eyes one more time. _Damn you, Steve McGarrett!_

Steve remained still. Her voice was something he could not read. He thought it could be resentment, but it also could be tiredness. Her eyes were locked into his' and he felt guilty; she was almost on the edge and he was pushing her further.

"I'm really sorry," he said shyly.

Catherine tilted her head in sign of confusion. "What for?"

When he didn't respond she knew he was going back to when she interrupted him.

"Don't," she said seriously. "Omce again, don't. I made my decisions and I stand by it. I'm not sorry, Steven.. and you shouldn't be either."

Catherine's eyes were locked on Steve's and she felt a shiver down her spine. Holding the gaze for five seconds or a bit more before disentangle her hand from his and walk away from him, back inside his kitchen.

Putting the goblet she was drinking her wine on the sink, Catherine told herself to breathe. Just breathe.

_'Focus, Catherine. Focus. You're here to work, not to fall in love,'_ she thought to herself. _**'not to fall in love**..'_

With a last deep breath, she returned to where she left Steve.

.

Steve stood there while Catherine walked past him. She didn't seem to be mad at him, but he could swear he saw disappointment.

His conscience was yelling at him. _The least you could do was thank her.. Is that so hard? _Steve sighed; looking down, he let his head rest on his hands. She appeared out of nowhere and, even though he was already going through a twisted and messed up situation, she made his world turn upside down one more time.

When he raised his head, he found Catherine standing in front of him one more time.

"Look, Catherine, I just.." He paused. Her eyes were deep and mysterious, and the expression on her face was undecipherable. Running his tongue through his lips, Steve took a deep breath and continued. "I'd like to thank you.."

Catherine offered him a small smile. "You don't nee-"

She was trying to tell him that was unnecessary but he didn't let her finish. Steve placed a finger on her lips, preventing her from speaking. His eyes followed his hand and when it reached its goal, he wished he had used his own lips instead of his hand. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "I'd like to thank what you did today, that was.. very nice. Especially because we're, you know, almost.. strangers."

Catherine shivered under his touch; it was warm and soft and caused her to feel like the entire world was moving in slow motion, even the words coming out of his mouth. When it was clear that he wouldn't continue, she used her hand to take his hand away from her mouth so she could speak again.

"You didn't need to thank me.."

"Because you keep you promises," Steve cut her loudly. "I get it."

Catherine's eyes grew wider and deeper. "**Because**," she spoke louder that he was used to, causing him to arch an eyebrow. "I did it because I wanted to." Lowering her voice and trying to get rid of at least part of the tension that took over her body, she continued. "I did this because when I got Danny's phone call at 5 in the morning and he explained to me what had happened, I believed his words."

"What did he say?"

"He said you were arrested under the accusation of murder."

"And you believed him? Plain and simple?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Catherine chuckled. Walking past Steve she let her body fall on his couch one more time.

"You always need a reason don't you? Well, I believed him because. I trust Danny."

"You trusted he was right about me." That wasn't a question.

"I did. And before you ask why, I'll explain.. Because, even though we're _almost strangers_, I think know you enough to know that something wasn't.. right."

Steve sat by her side, this time, a little bit closer and Catherine held her breath for a moment.

"Thank you," he whispered using his best low, deep and husky voice.

"You're welcome."

None moved an inch; they just stood there, looking at each other. It was like the world around them disappeared. They weren't aware of anything.. until Catherine's phone rang. She had put it to charge when Steve went showering.

Once again, after they snapped out of their trance, they noticed how close they were from each other. Standing up quickly, Catherine reached for her phone that was lying on the ground, next to Steve's side of the couch.

Without even looking at the caller ID, she just pressed answer.

"Taylor ... Oh, hi Jake, how are you doing?"

Steve noticed how her voice went from serious to sweet in a matter of seconds. Just as quickly, his mood went darker. "I'm good too, thanks for asking..." Whoever it was calling, it was most likely from DC and it was a he. Jake isn't exactly a female nickname, was it? "I just arrived, Jacob! I have no idea when I'll come back, I told you that.."

Yes. It was a man. Steve stood up and went upstairs to give them some privacy. His guest room had lots of his military stuff and, because he didn't know he'd have a guest, he didn't have time to clear it. He could do it now, after all, it was just 7:25pm and it wasn't that messy, but he didn't want to.. Catherine's phone call bothered him more than he expected.

Catherine was a beautiful woman and it was almost a safe bet that she had someone, but, deep down - maybe not too deep - Steve had hopes she didn't. But when he heard the name Jacob, well, that hit him hard and to say he wasn't ready, well, that was one huge understatement. He decided then to change the sheets of his bed and let her stay with his room for the night.

Trying his best to avoid hearing anything of Catherine's conversation, he worked on his room very concentrated. It was fast but he decided to give her more time alone.

Lying on his bed, he tried to knock some sense into his head. She had someone. Catherine Taylor had someone and it wasn't him.

**xxx**

It was near eight when Steve went downstairs. The entire place was quiet, so he thought she wasn't on the phone anymore.

"Catherine?" He called for her in a low tone, but didn't have any response. "Catherine?" his voice went a bit louder. Nothing again.

Entering the room, he noticed why she didn't answer. She was asleep on his couch. That image made his heart skip a beat; she was sleeping so peacefully and gracefully that he sat on the coffee table and just watched her sleep. Just because he didn't have her, that didn't mean he couldn't admire her.

Catherine didn't fit the couch - she was almost as tall as Steve himself - so, after a while, Steve decided to wake her up so she could go to bed. Despite all his efforts, she didn't open her eyes. Taking the asleep woman in his arms, he slowly made his way to his bedroom.

The smell of her shampoo combined with her natural scent and the wine were almost intoxicating. Struggling with his wants, Steve finally put her on his bed. Catherine purred when her body touched the white sheets and Steve found himself holding his breath, while his arms were supporting his weight; his knees went weak and he feared falling on top of her. He wanted to stay there, just lay down by her side, but again, he didn't. He just stayed there for a moment before going back downstairs to get her belongings.

The woman lying on his bed was different than any other women Steve ever met. And now that she was back, and in his house, he thought it would be a bumpy ride..

**xxx**

Catherine woke up the next day, her vision a bit blurry with sleep. Squinting, she looked at her left trying to see what time was when she noticed she was not in her house. She nearly jumped out of the bed when she remembered: Hawaii. Steve's house.. But she didn't remember the bed or even going anywhere else further than the couch.

Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she searched for her phone and found it on the night stand, next to an alarm clock. It was almost 9am, what meant that Catherine slept for over thirteen hours straight.

There weren't any missed calls not text messages so she dropped it back on the night stand before getting some clothes and walking to the not so small bathroom that room had.

It was 9:37am when she walked downstairs.

"Morning!"

The low and deep voice greeted her the moment she walked into the kitchen. Catherine silently prayed he was not cooking.

"Morning you."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you."

Her always polite voice made him smile while drinking his coffee. The mug was sort of hiding it, but Catherine could see his smile in his eyes. This would be challenging, she thought to herself. She also made a mental note to find herself a hotel room. Not that she wasn't enjoying his company or his place, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to sustain her unwavering professionalism with Steve making her have very non professional thoughts.

"Is there any more coffee?"

"Sure, help yourself.. But, can I ask what's the occasion?" Steve made a movement with his head, indicating her wardrobe. She was wearing a navy blue suit with trousers.

"This? No big deal, I just have some things to do."

"Saturday?" questioned Steve with an eyebrow arched.

"Yes," she said simply. "Have you seen my gun?"

"Woah.. Wait." Steve placed his coffee mug on the sink and straightened his body. "What exactly are you up to?"

"Relax," she said incredibly calm. "Just business."

"Business? You mean work?"

"Yeah, that. So, have you seen it?"

"I put it back in your bag." Catherine walked back upstairs with Steve right behind her. "Now, could you please elaborate what exactly you'll do?"

"Bail Kono out of jail," she said without flinch. Back in the room she woke up, she took her jacket off and threw it on the bed. Catherine found her S&M exactly where Steve said he'd put it then she fished for her holster. Wearing both, she moved towards the bed to get her jacket back, but Steve's body was in the way. She had to blink twice before she could speak.

"Would you excuse me, please," Catherine asked but he didn't move, instead he handed her the jacket.

"I'm coming with you." That was not a question or a request. He was saying he would do that.

"It's Saturday. You don't have to."

"You didn't have to come here, but you did. I'm coming with you and that's not open for discussion."

The way Steve said that got Catherine all tingly. Her breathing was a bit heavier and her mouth went dry. _'Hotel room. I need to find a hotel room.'_

Steve noticed the changing in her breathing and he smiled. Maybe she wasn't so immune to him. But then, he remembered last night and felt like a tsunami came and took it all away.

"Alright, if you insist," she said as she turned on her heels and barged out of his room and his house; Steve was right behind her.

.

"Nice car.." Catherine had a huge smile on her face while staring at the black Mercury parked in Steve's garage.

Chin arranged to get it back to Steve's place after he took him in custody.

"Can I drive?" Her eyes were sparkling with joy. She was like a kid who just got exactly what she wanted for Christmas. There was no way he would say no to those sparkly grey eyes.

"Yeah.. I suppose."

"Great!" Catherine cheered. Literally. She jumped and her smile grew bigger and Steve felt his heart sank. God, she was beautiful. "Oh my.. I can't believe it.."

Catherine jumped inside and turned the ignition on. The smile on her face was so big Steve thought it would stay there forever.

Both, Steve and Catherine were so caught up with their own thoughts and emotions that they missed the black sedan that was parked near Steve's house.

. . .

* * *

><p><em>So.. what do you think? Leave feedback to help me improve my writing! Once again, thank you very much :)<em>


	6. Chapter 6

**Aloha people! I'd like to thank one more time everyone who's reading this! Even if you don't review the story, you're all amazing to me, really!**

**Special thanks to: _SugarMuffin08_, for your nice words, encouragement! You helped me a lot and I can't even begin to explain! Also, _amblue36 _**and_ Angels-heart1_** for helping me with your thoughts :)  
><strong>

_One more time, I'd like to apologize in advance in case there are any super weird/bizzare things in this fic and blahblahblah.. so, please, let me know if you find something that's very very wrong or awkward._

**I hope you all enjoy my work :)**

* * *

><p>"Alright, Steve," said Catherine when she killed the engine. "You can either stay in the car, or come with me.. But, if you come, you have to promise you won't interfere. So? Which one's gonna be?"<p>

Steve didn't even take time to consider her offer. "I'm coming with you, of course."

"Great. Stand behind me. I know it's ask for too much, but, please, do it."

He could see the plea in her eyes, but also some cool intensity and he felt that he should really do as she was saying.

"I'll do it. I can do that."

Catherine had her doubts whether he would really be able to hold his strong personality and attitude, but decided to give him a try.

"Okay. Let's go."

.

"I'm here for Officer Kono Kalakaua."

Catherine's voice and body showed determination to its maximum when she walked into the HPD Internal Affairs. Steve grinned inwardly; everything about her at that very moment inspire fear, even her long hair pulled up in a pony tail was saying she was not in for the fun, and Steve was so glad he was by her side and not the other way around. That woman knew how to be aggressive and that was something new. So far, he had met the kind and thoughtful Catherine Taylor, now he was getting to know a whole new side of her - she was definitely an alpha female.

"And who are you exactly?"

Steve almost felt sorry for the guy.

"FBI agent, Catherine Taylor," she said showing him her ID badge. "I'd like to talk to Detective Ahuna. Now."

The guy immediately did as she said and went after the Detective. Steve didn't believe that woman, right in front of him was the same; it was like seeing one person put up the _'good cop, bad cop'_ thing, which, honestly, was very hot, and also, very frustrating for him. He needed to remind himself every two seconds that Catherine Taylor wasn't available; her voice, all soft and warm saying the name 'Jacob' was still haunting him. It took him a long time to admit but Steve McGarrett felt envious of whoever this Jake guy was.

"What?" Steve noticed Catherine was now talking to him. He should've been staring at her without notice.

"Nothing, just.. nothing."

She frowned. He was clearly hiding something, but, Catherine decided not to ask for any further information. She asked him to not interfere so she'd ask him once they were out.

That moment, the guy whom she had just spoken to returned with someone else.

"I'm Detective Ahuna. Officer Neely here said you're looking for me.. That you're FBI."

The arrogant way he said those words didn't warm her up at all. On the other hand, she hated when such thing happened - and it happened a lot more often than she was willing to deal with. People, usually men, always thought she couldn't be taken seriously, that she was too delicate for the job. She was often judged by her appearance - and she hated that so much. But she was quite happy now, so she decided to let it go and take things slow.

"I see you've been briefed. I'm glad. That'll save us some time. I'd like to speak with you about Officer Kono Kalakaua. In private."

Detective Ahuna flinched. He was used to alpha males and having to deal with their huge egos, but that girl, she was something new.

"Alright, I'll speak with you," he said after a short moment of consideration. "But only with you."

She noticed the emphasis on the 'you'. For some reason, he didn't want Steve to tag along.

"We're working together," she said simply, but her voice wasn't any softer.

"You want to talk. We'll talk. But he'll stay out."

Steve didn't like any of that bullshit the Detective was putting up. He was ready to argue back when the back of Catherine's hand touched his chest, stopping him. When she turned to face him, the first thing he noticed was the fact that her inviting grey eyes were now dark.

"I got this."

Steve could feel the silent order that came attached with those words. She asked him not to interfere and he was just about to do that. He didn't know how she was able to foresee that, but, apparently, she did have it under control. He just really didn't want her to be alone with that guy.

"But, Ca-"

"Steve."

She didn't even need to say another word. The way she said his name was enough to stop him from arguing. He wondered how on Earth that was happening to _him_, Steve McGarrett.

Suddenly, her face relaxed a little and so did her eyes. "Wait for me here, alright. I'll be right back."

Their eyes were locked and, for a split second, Catherine thought she had seen concern written on his face and she gently rubbed his left shoulder; her soft touch gave him butterflies.

"I'll be right back," she whispered before turning to face the Detective again. "Okay. It's just you and me. Let's go."

Detective Ahuna had nothing against women that where in a higher position than his, but he certainly didn't like have that _haole_ shouting him orders like he was nothing but a pawn. He considered arguing with her when his eyes met hers; her expression was showing how she was not up for any discussion. Her eyes were so incredibly intense and he thought, if looks could kill, he would definitely get murder if he tried to fight her.

The first thought that occurred to him was that it would be easier to deal with that woman if she was not with Steve McGarrett, after all, he was well known for his strong personality and his not so orthodox methods of interrogation and investigation; now he was having very strong second thoughts.

"Okay," the Detective spoke after clearing his throat. "Follow me."

Without looking back, Catherine followed the detective's steps.

Steve just stood there, watching as they both vanished through a door and Detective Ahuna closed the blinds. He felt something growing inside him and didn't like that feeling, so, he decided it was for the best if he waited for her outside.

.

"So, Agent Taylor, exactly what about Officer Kalakaua you want to talk?"

Detective Ahuna was trying to work with his advantage, which would be his territory and Kono's situation. Sitting behind his desk, he waved towards the chair in front of him so Catherine could sit.

"I understand you arrested Officer Kalakaua due to a break-in into the HPD asset forfeiture locker," she said as she occupied the place he pointed her.

"That's right. There was a witness and she placed Officer Kalakaua at the scene of the break-in."

"I got to read the reports, Detective. And that's why I'm here. I've been told you're the Detective in charge and I'd like to request you to drop the charges."

"Can't do that, Agent."

Catherine shifted on her seat. "I'm sure we can work things out, Detective."

**xxx**

Steve's phone rang shortly after he walked out of the building.

"What's up, Danny?"

"Where's Catherine?" He didn't even make some small talk to ask for her.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. How about you?"

"I'm sorry. Hi, Steve. Good morning. How did you sleep? Are you alright."

Steve sighed. "Sure, now what happened? Why do you need Catherine?"

"I need to talk to her."

Danny's voice was a mix of emotions and Steve frowned. What exactly was going on that Danny wasn't saying. "What happened?"

"Just tell her to meet me at the 5-0 HQ as soon as possible, alright. Bye."

"Danny? Danny!" He had hung up. Great. Now what?

Steve leaned on the side of his car, waiting. Danny's phone call was weird. Why he didn't call Catherine instead of him?

Catherine. He couldn't help but remember the show she had just put up; her attitude was something he wasn't expecting. She had this porcelain doll appearance but she was proving it was just that; appearances.

.

Catherine walked out of the building less than ten minutes later to find Steve McGarrett in his car, just waiting. When he saw her walking towards him, he got out of the vehicle.

"That was fast," he said as she approached him.

"You think?" replied Catherine with a smile. "We need to go get Kono," she said, making herself very clear as she got into the black Mercury, this time, she sat in the passenger seat.

Steve took his place behind the steering wheel and pulled out of the parking lot. They'd get Kono in a different precinct.

"Danny called," he said casually. "He was looking for you.."

"He called me, but I couldn't answer.. Did he say what he wanted?"

"He said he need to talk to you, and we were supposed to go to the 5-0 Headquarters as soon as possible.."

Catherine was about to call Danny when she decided not to. She would meet him in a few so a phone call would be unnecessary.

Steve was looking back at her, not exactly paying attention to the road ahead. "Any idea what he want to talk about?"

She could feel doubt in his voice and in his face, even though it seemed to her that he was struggling inside.

"No.. He didn't say anything? Any hints?"

"No."

"Well, then let's get Kono and go there," she said, her eyes facing the window, but she wasn't looking at anything really. Steve was fighting a hard battle inside and Catherine decided that stay silent was the best thing to do. She knew when it was time to speak up, and also knew when it was time to shut up. This was definitely time to shut up.

.

"I can't believe you're here!" said Kono when she saw Catherine. "And I cannot believe you bailed me out. I'll never be able to thank you enough."

Kono hugged Catherine when they left the precinct. She was about to be transferred to a federal prison when someone told her she was free.

The moment she saw Catherine her face lighten up, and when she told her she was good to go and all charges were dropped, the smile on her face grew bigger and she hugged Catherine tightly.

"You really don't need to thank me!" said Catherine cheerfully. She was as happy as the Asian girl. "I'm sorry I didn't came earlier.."

"No problem," replied Kono. The smile on her face didn't seem to fade. "It's so good to see you, Kate!"

"It's awesome seeing you too, Kay! But I'm afraid we need to go now," she said leading the way. Steve was waiting for them in the car.

"Where are we going?" asked Kono from the backseat.

"5-0 Headquarters," said Steve. "Danny is waiting for us," he looked at Catherine quickly but the two women noticed that. "And, Kono, it's good to see you again and out of jail."

"It's great to see you too," she flashed him a smile. "When did you leave?"

"Yesterday," he said simply.

The way Steve was giving his answers, all short and direct, told Catherine and Kono he wasn't exactly in the mood. Whatever Danny told him was getting on his nerves.

Catherine and Kono talked the rest of the way, but Steve remained silent as a statue. It was like he wasn't even there, except he was the one who was driving.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Steve McGarrett killed the engine of his Mercury in front of the 5-0 building. Danny's silver Camaro was already there.

**xxx**

"Danny?" Catherine called for him once they walked through the glass doors. The blonde figure was standing in the middle of the room, facing one giant blue screen when he heard his name. Turning on his heels, he walked to find Catherine with Steve and Kono right behind her. "Dan, hi. Steve said you wanted to ta-"

Danny pulled her into a tight embrace and she stopped talking. Catherine didn't know what was going on, but she hugged Danny back while Steve and Kono shared a confused look.

"Dan? Are you alright?" she mumbled; her body still tangled with Danny's.

"I'm great," he said, releasing her. "How did you do that?"

"How did I do what.. exactly?"

"How did you bring the 5-0 back?"

Now, Steve and Kono was also staring at her, their eyes wide open.

"Is it true? We're back?" asked Kono a bit incredulous.

"Yes. You're back.. But wh-" Catherine tried to ask Danny who told him or how did he knew when he hugged her one more time and Kono joined him.

"Thank you guys, this is.. very nice of you two but you need to stop.. I can't breathe."

They released her, with huge smile on their faces.

"Is that it? That's what you wanted to talk to Catherine?" asked Steve. He just stood there, in the exact same spot he was ever since he got into the room.

"Yeah.. Well, part of it," said Danny. His arm still around her waist. "How did you do it and in such short time?"

"I know people," she said smiling.

"Wait a minute," said Steve curious and confused. "The Governor is dead, and she was the responsible for the task force, so to speak. She created it.. Who authorized our return?"

Catherine flashed him a smile. "Let's just say the North American Nation is happy with the 5-0s and all results this task force brought to this island."

Steve's jaw dropped. "Did you just say Nation?"

She didn't answer, instead, she just held her smile. Danny suddenly pulled her again, this time, he kissed her on the cheeks. "I love you. Did you know that? I really love you." Steve furrowed his brows to that.

"Alright," interrupted Steve. "What was the other part?"

"What?" asked Danny.

"You said that our return was part of it. What is the other part?"

"Oh, right, that.." he said letting go of Catherine. "Jenna went back to New York."

"Alright, guess we can do our job without Jenna.."

"But.. What about Chin?" asked Kono, and just like that, things became really awkward.

"Okay. Now it's my turn to talk," said Catherine, then she looked at Danny. What she knew about the blonde guy, was more than enough for her to know that he was pretty angry at Chin.

"About Chin, you need to understand one thing," even though Catherine didn't say anything yet, Danny was already twisting. "Just hear me out, Danny. Chin Ho Kelly is not this monster you're picturing. He did what he had to do. He wanted to help, but things.. Things didn't work out the way he planned.."

"What are you talking about?" Kono was starting to get worried.

"Chin returned to the HPD.."

"And he arrested Steve."

Catherine sighed. This would not be easy. "Danny. Don't. Just don't.. Chin thought, if Steve was in jail, the Five-0s wouldn't be able to do anything.. So he accepted the HPD offer and returned. He wanted to help. He thought if he was working at the HPD then maybe he could do something, but things got.. Complicated." She made a pause to look at the three of them.

To her surprise, Steve seemed to be dealing with that almost alright. She looked at him and noticed he understood what she was saying and that made her open a small smile. But Danny was having trouble accepting that. He didn't say anything but Catherine had trained eyes and she knew how to read people.

"Danny, can we please have a word," she said, nodding towards his office. He followed her shortly, with Steve and Kono's eyes locked on his back.

.

Catherine closed the door after Danny walked into his own office, then with her arms supporting her weight from behind, she leaned against his desk. He went straight to the two seat couch on his office.

The two of them didn't say a word for about a minute, until...

"I'm mad. I am so damn angry because he didn't say a word! His attitude when he arrested McGarrett was so AAAAH!" Danny made a pause to breathe. His scream was loud enough to draw the attention of Steve and Kono, who were standing outside, still in front of the big flat screens. Catherine just nodded, indicating she had it all under control.

.

"He is really upset isn't he?" asked Kono not so happy; she was talking about Danny.

"Danny is a hothead. He's mad now but he will get over it." Steve sounded pretty convinced of his words.

"You think so?"

"I'm sure," said Steve, giving her a reassuring smile.

.

"He should've told me something," continued Danny, completely oblivious to Catherine's gesture and Kono and Steve's eyes on him. "Anything!"

"Honestly, Dan, would that work?" She left his desk and sat by his side.

"Yes," he said and her eyes questioned him silently. "Maybe.. I don't know, but anything would've been better than nothing!"

"You know now, Dan," said Catherine taking his hands on hers. "It wasn't an easy decision, you know. Think about it for a second. Chin had just found out about the Governor's involvement, suddenly, he learns that there is an APB on Steve then, the next thing he sees is the HPD all around the building! Danny, if you had one chance - one opportunity to try to make a difference - what would you have done?"

"I would stand by my team," he said harshly.

"You're missing the big picture here, Dan. Chin never left the team. Not like you're thinking. If the Governor decided to, she would be able to end the Five-0s and then what? None of you would be able to do anything. He wanted to do something, to help. Unfortunately, Pat Jameson died.. That didn't left him much choices. He took Steve in custody, but, Dan, things could've been worse. Trust me. Someone else could've thrown Steve into a Federal Prison where Steve himself put several other criminals. How about that?" Danny sighed.

"I understand you're hurt, Danny," she raised his chin with her fingers so he could look directly at her. Her eyes were so soft and so light that Danny looked at her and really listened to what she was saying. "I understand why you thought Chin betrayed the Five-0s.. But I'm telling you what happened, and I know how hard it is to ask for trust, so I want to ask you to think about what I just told you. He tried to do something to help this team, but the outcome wasn't exactly what he expected. This team, Dan, the one you're part of.. it includes Chin Ho Kelly. I know you know that, so, just stop being so stubborn!" She squeezed his hand and he smiled. "I'll say the exact same thing I told Chin yesterday. You guys are great. Not good, not fine. Great. Outstanding together.. Then why on Earth would you rather just be ordinary apart? Why settle for less?"

Still holding Catherine's hands, Danny considered everything he just heard.. and she was right. He knew that right from the beginning but the anger was clouding his judgment. More than once Chin proved his value to the team, more than once he got their backs and, the most important thing, more than once he proved his loyalty to the Five-0s.

"You're right," he said finally. "You're right.. I guess.. I guess I was just too upset because everything was falling apart and.." His voice broke, and Catherine knew there was more.

"And..?" She tried to get him to talk, but Danny shifted his eyes to the ground. _Too obvious, Danny_, she thought.

"It's Grace, isn't it?"

She knew Danny's daughter. She and Grace spend a little time together when she met him. He had to do some work and didn't have someone to let her with so she ended up being babysitter for a while.

"What happened?" she asked when he nodded.

"She and Rachel went back to New Jersey," he explained and Catherine could almost feel the hurt in his words. Danny loved that little girl; she actually believed Gracie was the reason why he was such a good cop, to make sure his daughter would grow up in a better place.

"Dan.. I'm sorry," she put her left arm on his shoulders and hugged him. He reminded her so much of her brother.

"Yeah, don't worry," he said weakly. "She's probably better in New Jersey.."

"Why would you say that?" she asked, breaking the hug.

"Because I believe things are about to get messy here," he quickly shifted his eyes to where Kono and Steve were moments ago. No one was there; they went to their offices.

"Okay, and why do you say so?" asked Catherine intrigued and alert.

"I didn't say anything there because I'm not sure how to give them the news." Danny's voice was a little lower than the usual and Catherine didn't like that. Leaning closer, she waited til he continued.

"After I got a call from Homeland Security saying that your request to bring the task force back was accepted, I drove to Steve's place because I was hoping to see you guys there.. but you weren't."

"Alright, then what?"

"Then," he searched inside his pocket for a small envelope that he handed to Catherine. "I found this on his door."

"Wait a minute," she said before getting the envelope. Going through her purse, she got some rubber gloves and wore them, only then she opened it and found two pictures and a note. The pictures were apparently from the night before and, even though it was really dark and the person who took those were considerably away from what was happening, the images were good, the camera they used must've been a good one. Catherine didn't have much trouble identifying what was in those frames; one was showing Steve McGarrett leaving, what she assumed to be, the Governor's house, handcuffed, and the second showed the moment Chin was putting Steve inside the patrol car; she could see Danny's back on that picture. And the note had some Japanese letters that Catherine read as '_sayonara'_, it meant goodbye, and she doubted that was a friendly goodbye note.

"When did you get this, Danny?" she asked holding the pictures firm on her grip. "What time?"

"Uh, I'm not sure.. Guess it was almost ten, why?"

"It was shortly after we left," she said thinking loudly. "Damn, I didn't see anything!"

"Maybe they went there after you and Steve left?" Not even Danny was buying his words.

"No. I don't believe so. They were there, I just missed it." Catherine was cursing herself for not paying attention. "Danny, I need your car keys."

"What? Why?" he questioned her startled. Danny wasn't liking where things were going. "What will you do?"

"I need to do something. Please. The keys." She stood up fast as a lightning.

"Kate, please, sit down and tell me what exactly you're up to. Maybe I can help."

"I won't do anything reckless, I swear, just give me the keys and I'll be back very soon. I promise."

Against his will, Danny handed her the keys. "Be careful, alright? I don't need another Steve McGarrett to drive me crazy and give me headaches. Please. One is enough."

"Don't worry, _Danno_," Catherine winked and flashed him a smile. "Oh, and try to find any fingerprints on the pictures or the note or envelope. I have my doubts but check it, please." Then she literally ran out the door.

"_Danno. _Great."

Danny sighed loudly. He had a feeling that Catherine Taylor and Steve McGarrett shared some traits and characteristics.. and Danny was not looking forward to seeing what those were and if he was right or wrong.

**xxx**

Steve saw when Catherine stormed out of Danny's office. She was wearing stilettos, but that wasn't slowing her down. He stood up quickly and tried to get her attention.

"Hey, Catherine! CATHERINE!" he yelled from his office but she had already walked through the big glass doors.

"What happened? What was that?" asked Steve, entering Danny's office almost exactly like Catherine left, in a hurry.

Steve was quite mad about the scene he had seen moments later, when Catherine and Danny were inches from one another, and he wasn't doing much efforts to hide how distraught he was.

"That? Oh, that was nothing.. Catherine needs to do some shopping. She'll be right back," Danny rambled. He wasn't exactly looking forward to letting Steve know about the pictures and the note and the fact that Catherine was probably on her way to do something seriously dangerous and maybe even stupid, just like the ex-SEAL in front of him.

"Danny. Talk."

Steve crossed his arms in front of his chest, assuming that stupid cocky position Danny just hated; he put up that while trying to intimidate people, when he wanted answers and wasn't willing to have a no for an answer.

Danny didn't feel intimidated by Steve staring at him like that, he never did, but it annoyed him so much when he behave like that so he always ended up talking, which was good enough to Steve.

"Alright," he sighed. "But, cut that crap, okay? Stop looking at me like I'm one of your suspects because that's freaking annoying, you know that. This is not the Navy so stop it."

"Okay. Okay," Steve said, gesturing with his hands and arms. "Now will you explain what was that?" he pointed to the door.

Letting out a sigh, he leaned against his desk. "I showed her something and it made her snap.."

"What exactly did you show her?" Steve asked startled.

"This," he said, passing the envelope to Steve.

He didn't even bother wearing gloves like Catherine and, earlier Danny did. He just took the content out and his mood went from distraught to grim in no time. Steve didn't have to look harder, he instantly knew what those were - pictures of the night he was arrested.

. . .

* * *

><p><em>So? What do you think? Feedback is greatly appreciated<em> :)

_Oh, and on a side note, I'd like to let you all know that I might change the rate from T to M later._ _kthanks!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Aloha people! One more time I'd like to thank one more time everyone who's reading this; you're all amazing!  
><strong>

**Special thank you to those who take some time to leave reviews; you all help me a lot! So thanks! Also, I need to mention SugarMuffin08 here because she's always willing to talk to me and help me with this fic, so, woman, this is for you! Thanks for your wise advice! Hope this chapter is good enough :)  
><strong>

_Like always I'd like to apologize in advance in case there are any super weird/bizzare things in this fic and blahblahblah.. so, please, let me know if you find something that's very very wrong or awkward._

**Hope you all enjoy and please, let me know what you think in a review if you can :)**_  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>Steve didn't have to look harder, he instantly knew what those were - pictures of the night he was arrested.<em>

.

"Where did you get this?"

"What's going on?" Kono had just joined them. She missed Catherine's triumphal exit for a few seconds so she didn't get exactly what was happening, but, judging by the tension inside Danny's office it was something big.

"Catherine just stormed out of the building," explained Danny, but Steve didn't let he go any further.

"Danny, stop," demanded Steve. He didn't have time nor patience for that right now. "Quit stalling and answer the damn question. Where did you find these photos? Where did you get it?"

Danny sighed. That was the exact situation he didn't want to deal with. "Your place," he said finally, glancing at him to check his reaction; Steve's eyes widened and he was clearly astonished.

"My house?"

"Yeah, your house," said Danny, taking the pictures, envelope and note from Steve's hands. "And before you ask anything else, it was today. Right before I got a phone call saying that Catherine's request to bring back the Five-0s was accepted, I went to your place, but you weren't there, and I found this on your door. It was nearly ten, right-"

"Right before we left," Steve mumbled before doing exactly like Catherine - vanishing through the doors.

"Yeah, that," said Danny, while Kono took the pictures from his desk.

"What happened?" asked Kono. Danny forgot she was in custody, and probably was oblivious to the recent events.

Taking a deep breath, Danny sat on his chair before going through that night one more time.

.

Steve had just got to his car when he remembered he didn't have Catherine's phone number. Starting his engine and quickly pulling his car out of the parking lot, he called Danny. The blonde guy answered almost immediately.

"I need Catherine's number." No unnecessary talk, he just wanted her number. If Wo Fat was the one who went to his place, then he didn't want to imagine what would happen to Catherine if he finds her, after all, he murdered Governor Pat Jameson without hesitate.

He memorized her number and called her the minute Danny hung up.

**xxx**

The moment she got into Danny's Camaro, Catherine didn't let go of her phone. She wasn't accepting her gigantic surveillance failure. What if something went wrong? What if she got Steve and herself shot? What if they killed Steve? There were innumerous possibilities, so many possible scenarios that she couldn't forgive herself for her careless work. If something had happened to McGarrett she would never forgive herself.

Catherine needed information and needed it fast. Pulling out of the parking lot and speeding through the streets, her fingers found its way to another number of her contact list; pressing dial, she prayed to get an answer this time.

_"Adams."_

It was almost delightful to hear her cheerful voice coming through her Bluetooth. She would be happy if things were different.

"Trish, hey, glad to hear you.. Listen, I need your assistance."

Trish Adams was a redhead, petit woman, who worked as a Technical Analyst for the FBI, and probably one of the few people Catherine was always willing to work with.

_"Sure you do, sweetheart. How can I help you today?"_

"I need everything you can possibly find about the Yakuza."

_"Yakuza? As in the Japanese mafia?"_

"Exactly. I need to know everything about them, especially what you find about O'ahu, Hawaii."

_"Hawaii? That's where you went to? Hawaii?"_

Trish's voice sounded like someone who had just been personally offended.

"Yeah. Why?"

_"Why? __**Why?**__ Because you're in one of the most beautiful places I've never been while I'm locked in my windowless micro room! Life's a bitch, and so are you, Barbie."_

This time, Catherine chuckled. "Don't call me that, woman. And I'm here at work so, please."

_"Okay. I got it."_

"Hey Trish? I also want everything you can find about Wo Fat."

_"Roger that! Something else?"_

"No. Not now. I have to call someone else, but, please, sent it to me as soon as possible okay?" She could hear her hands working even faster on the keyboard.

_"Sure thing. This might take a while but I'll do that."_

"Thanks, Trish."

_"Bye, love!"_

That was easy. With an eye on the road and the other on her phone, she made the most important phone call of the day.

_"Hey stranger."_

The phone didn't even ring twice when the person on the other side picked up.

"Reed. How are you?" Not that she had time for small talk and friendly conversation but she was about to ask for a major favor so why not.

_"I'm good, thanks for asking! How about you?"_

"I'm great," she replied and got a laugh in response. Colin Reed knew Catherine for about ten years now to recognize when she needed his help. _"So, what's up Kate? I'm pretty sure you didn't call to check on me.."_

"I need your help, Colin.."

_"I'm listening. Talk to me."_

"I need satellite photos of an address in Hawaii from about two hours ago.." she said and closed her eyes as she waited for his reply.

_"Woah.. Wait a minute, why do you need that?"_ His voice was showing what she thought it was his expression right now, shock and surprise.

"I'm working on a case here and I think I missed something," she admitted. Colin worked for the NSA and if she couldn't trust him, then she could trust no one. "Please Colin. I wouldn't ask for such thing if it wasn't important."

_"It's gonna draw a lot of attention to do that. What is the case?"_

Taking a deep breath, she considered that for a moment. "Have you heard about the death of the Governor of Hawaii?"

_"Yes, indeed."_

"It's related. Colin, I need to know if my people here are in danger."

_"Your people?"_ he spoke again after a moment, and Catherine knew right there he'd help her. _"You're working with a team now?"_

"Not exactly.."

She made a turn to her right and she almost lost control of the silver Camaro. Crashing Danny's car only a few blocks from Steve's place was not in the plan, so she slowed down just a little.

_"Alright, I'm on it.. What's the address?"_

"Honestly, I'm not sure.. Track my phone's position. I'm almost there."

_"Okay.. Wow. You shouldn't drive that fast, woman."_

"First, you're not supposed to stalk me. Second, who died and made you my boss?"

_"Oh, I'm pretty sure no one will ever be able to be such thing,"_ he teased and she smiled. Colin was her friend for long enough to know it would be necessary someone as tough as Catherine to just try to boss her around. Not even her boss was able to control her sometimes. _"And I'm just doing as you said. I'm following your phone and it's moving damn fast."_

"Okay, I'm here," said Catherine as she parked near Steve's house. "I need photos from about nine thirty til ten o'clock. The most frames you can get the better."

_"Okay, I'm on it."_

"Good. And Colin, don't hang up. I need you to stay with me."

Killing the engine, she took her S&M and a SIG-Sauer as backup and placed the second one on its holster; Colin heard the sound of Catherine checking a gun.

_"Kate.. What are you doing?"_ Even though he was miles away, concern didn't even begin to describe what Colin was feeling.

"Looking for evidence."

_"Please, tell me you have backup.."_

"I do.. It's you. Now, if something goes wrong, you call Detective Daniel Williams, Hawaii Five-0," she said while going through her contact list and finding Danny's number. "I'm messaging you his number. Copy that?"

On the other side, Colin froze. They were friends for a long time, but he would never be used to her behavior and every time he worked with Catherine, even though he loved her like the sister he never had, he felt that she made him age a bit faster when they worked together.

_"Catherine, stop. I know you're brave, independent and everything, but if this is about the Governor's murder then I believe you need someone else other than me. Someone that can help you, right there."_

"I appreciate your concern, Colin but that's not gonna happen.. You know why I can't do that.."

Colin sighed frustrated. Knowing her story like he did, a miracle would be necessary for her to work with someone again. _"Alright.. But just for your information, you, woman, are officially the most insane person I ever met."_

She smiled while walking slowly to the entrance of Steve's place.

"Thank you Mr. Reed. Now focus on the pictures. I need them STAT, and only if I say something, you call Danny."

"Poor Daniel.."

"Colin, more work less talk."

With him on her Bluetooth, she walked around Steve's place and found the tire tracks Danny mentioned. She'd go back to that later, now, her priorities were different.

**xxx**

"DAMMIT!"

Steve was getting more and more impatient by the second. He couldn't get a hold on Catherine and was trying not to imagine what would happen if Wo Fat was still in his house.

Hitting the gas til it touched the bottom, Steve was almost flying through the streets of Hawaii. He considered calling Catherine Rollins but what would he say? _"Hey Cath, I need visual of my place right now because this FBI agent went there alone and she might be in danger"_? No. He just needed to get to his place as soon as possible.

Trying to call her again, it went straight to the voice mail. Again.

_"This is Taylor. You know what to do."_

"Catherine, this is McGarrett, Steve. Call me back as soon as you get this." He prayed she'd hear that very soon.

Steve didn't even stop at any red lights. He just kept going. "Why would you do that, woman? Why would you go there alone?"

.

He got to his house in a record time and in one piece. The first thing he noticed was Danny's silver Camaro parked considerably far from the entrance oh his house.

Steve killed the engines right behind his partner's car and, fishing for his SIG-Sauer in the glove compartment, he got out of his car cautiously.

Danny's car was empty and Catherine's purse was lying on the floor along with her belongings, that didn't cheer him up. He tried her phone again, but one more time, it ended on her voice mail.

Shifting his eyes to the ground, Steve found some foot prints that appeared to be Catherine's; he followed it only to realize it ended next to a tire track.

"Damn, Catherine!" Steve hissed while running a hand through his short and dark hair. He didn't allow his mind to wander and went back on his SEAL mode of operation, trying to clear the perimeter. Maybe she was still there, he should not just assume Wo Fat took her. His eyes flew immediately to his front door - it was open.

Steve remembered closing the door after they left the house, so that was clearly not a good sign. With his SIG-Sauer in position, he went through the outside of the house quickly because the last thing he wanted was a surprise attack.

The exact same moment Steve stepped inside, his phone rang. His feet froze immediately. _Damn!_ Now his stealth advantage was long gone. He quickly got his phone and saw who the caller was.

"Great timing, Danny," Steve whispered sarcastically while checking to see if there was anyone in there yet.

_"What?" _He could almost see Danny's expression right now; he should be making gestures with his free hand showing his indignation - because, according to Danny, Steve McGarrett, brilliant SEAL, great Five-0, trained for combat, did not know how to deal with living creatures whom happen to have opposable thumbs, emotions and feelings - while walking around whatever the place he was._ "Exactly __**what**__ did I do this time?"_

"You called!" Even though no one jumped out of nowhere, he was still whispering.

_"Oh, I'm sorry.. But if you didn't want people bothering you, then WHY you didn't turn of the freaking phone? Better yet, why you didn't put it on silent mode?"_

Steve had to take a long and very deep breath. "Alright, alright.. Sorry I hurt your feelings, now, just tell me why did you call."

Even though he wasn't there, Steve knew Danny was making faces before answering his question. _"Catherine asked me to search for fingerprints on the envelope and its content.."_

"So you find anything?"

_"No.. She was right. Except for your fingerprints, it was all clear.."_

Steve stopped in front of his back door. "And you called to say that you didn't find anything?"

_"No. I called you because I can't talk to Catherine, and because you went after her I thou-"_

Steve brought his phone away from his ear; taking a deep breath, he spoke the words he was not looking forward to say. "She's not with me either. I can't find her."

_"What? What do you mean she's not with you? Where is she?"_

"I don't know. I came home, your car was here, her belongings were inside it, but she was nowhere to be found, I-"

Steve's voice broke. Some other than him was inside the house as well, and he only noticed that when he heard the distinct sound of a gun right behind him, followed by a familiar voice.

.

"I could have killed you.."

Steve turned on his heels to find himself face to face with Catherine. She had lowered her revolver and was smiling at him.

"You wouldn't," he said, a half smile on his face.

"I wouldn't.. but I almost did," she admitted.

Steve had his phone away from his ear and now they both could hear Danny going crazy on the other side.

_"Steve! What the hell is going on there? STEVE!"_

"Scratch that, Danny," he said quickly. "She's here."

"Don't you ever - EVER - do that again, you hear me? Ever! Now put her on the phone."

Catherine was talking to someone when Steve closed the space between them.

_"Relax, you don't need to make that phone call.. No, no, it was a friend, not an enemy.."_ Steve waited, and Catherine reached for her phone which was on pocket. _"Yeah, I got it.. Uhum.. Thanks Colin. I owe you big.. Yeah, can't promise you anything.. missyoutoobye."_

Steve frowned. Who was Colin? What happened to the Jacob guy?

"What's bothering you?" Catherine saw his twisted expression and couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing." Too quickly. Handing her his phone, he added. "Danny wants to talk to you."

She took his phone with a dubious look on her face. "Dan, what's up?"

_"Kate! Thank God.. Are you alright?"_

"Yes, Dan, I'm perfectly fine. Don't worry your pretty head.."

_"Yeah, a little too late for that. Why you didn't pick up your phone? I tried to call you dozens of times!"_

Looking back at her phone, she noticed several missed calls. "I see that now.. You and Steve," she looked at the man in front of her; he was serious but she was pretty amused. "Sorry, I was talking to a friend. Why did you call?"

_"You were right. The envelope, pictures and the note were clean. No fingerprints. We have nothing."_

Catherine could literally feel the disappointment Danny was expressing. As a detective, he was frustrated and, as a friend of Steve's he was really upset.

"Alright, that was expected, but it's not like we have nothing.. I think I may have something."

_"Really? What's that?"_

"I'll show you as soon as I get there. I have to go now, Dan. I'll be with you in a few.."

_"Aright then. Just.. No reckless stunts, okay? Please."_

Catherine smiled. "Won't do anything reckless. You have my word, Daniel. Talk to you in a few."

_"Okay.."_

She smiled. Danny was so much like her brother it was almost weird. "Bye, Dan."

_"See ya."_

Catherine was quite glad when she gave back the phone to Steve. She just needed to get the photos she needed, the information about the Yakuza so she could go through all that stuff and at least try to understand what exactly was going on in that island.

She was about to walk past Steve and go to Danny's car when his strong hands stopped her. Bringing herself to look at Steve, Catherine couldn't help but loose part of herself inside his now deep blue eyes. Actually, she didn't put up a decent fight, she just allowed her to get lost in those beautiful eyes for a moment.

Catherine Taylor feared so much, a lot more than she was willing to admit, the possibility of almost getting him hurt that, now, feeling his warmth so close, was the best feeling ever.

She was so caught up with her own feelings and emotions that she barely heard what he was saying.

"Catherine? Hey, Catherine!" His voice brought her back from her trance.

"What?" Her voice was as distant as her thoughts were just now.

"Are you alright?" questioned Steve, raising an eyebrow.

"Yah.. Yes, I'm great, why do you ask?" She noticed he was still holding her arm.

"I was talking to you but it was like you weren't here.."

"I'm sorry, I was.. Uh.. Thinking." That was way too lame and she knew it; then she switched her eyes to somewhere by the door.

"About what?"

"Never mind.. It wasn't important, it was just.. personal stuff." Steve squinted and she swallowed hard. How on Earth that man was real? He was so manly and gorgeous and, oh my.. She needed to get it together. "Anyways, I think we should.. probably go.. now."

"Well, I'm coming with you," said Steve as his hand went down to grab hers and she felt her heart skipping more than just a beat.

He tried to take a few steps, but she wasn't following him, instead, she was standing there with that distant look back in her eyes.

"Hey," Steve squeezed her hand softly and Catherine felt like he was squeezing her heart, and she had to fight so hard against the urge need to grad him by his white V-necked T-shirt, pull him close and kiss him. God, she wanted so badly to have a taste of those lips, to run her tongue through his mouth, exploring every inch of it.

Ever since the first time she saw Steven McGarrett, she felt something different. But then again, he was completely different from any other guy she ever met. He wasn't predictable, knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it; not exactly a good nor a bad guy - Steve was the perfect mix of both things, and he had that Steve McQueen thing going on that made things a lot more interesting. Catherine knew he was the heartbreaker type of a guy, but she couldn't help herself, and, by the end of the week she spend with the _fantastic four_, she realized she had feelings for him. And now, in the middle of his living room, those exact same feelings she tried so hard to bottle up, were back, ticking like a bomb, ready to explode.

Honestly, Catherine wanted that bomb to explode, but she couldn't allow that. She didn't give in to her feelings and need eleven months ago when they weren't working together, so she would not do that now. Not now.

Cursing her entire existence in her head, she blinked twice and, somehow, managed to put those delightful thoughts aside.

"Let's go," she said after a moment of tension. Steve was staring into her soul now, probably because of her odd behavior.

At first, she had the impression that Steve was quite relieved to hear her voice again and to notice she was not having a stroke or something, but then, that first impression vanished, and what she saw was the ex-SEAL, looking for some answers.

"You know what? No. You are gonna tell me what's going on." He wasn't joking, on the other hand, he was dead serious and no one would even consider arguing with that man. "I know I have no clue about how you're used to do the job back in DC with your FBI team and I know we're still not used to each other, but if we're gonna do this, then **we** have to make it right."

Even though it surprised her so much to hear him saying "**we**", Catherine didn't flinch. Once again, she was miraculously able to put up her poker face and not show any emotions she was feeling, and that annoyed Steve to his bones. He wanted to shake her and try to make her talk but that wouldn't help.

"Fair enough," she said as calm as the weather before a huge hurricane. "I'll tell you anything you want to know.. just not now." Judging by Steve's clearly not amused expression, he was not going to back down, so she continued. "You have my word. I will answer any questions you have to me, but not now. Please. Let's just go back to the Five-0."

He was still not happy at all, but he knew it would be useless for them to waste such precious time.

"Alright. But we're not done."

"I really hope not," mumbled Catherine but Steve heard it. The fact that he didn't reply to that was because he wasn't sure what to say, or why she said that.

.

"Steve.. What are you doing?"

Catherine was standing by Danny's car and so were Steve.

"I'll go with you," he said with a shrug.

"You know that **your** car is right **there**, right?" She pointed the black Mercury behind the Camaro.

"Oh, right. Hold on." Catherine just watched as he ran to his car and drove it back to the garage. When he ran back to where she was standing, her confused look amused him greatly. "What?"

"Nothing," she said while occupying the driver's seat; Steve still out the Camaro. He took two steps away from the car before she yelled. "Where are you going? I thought you were coming," said Catherine after gathering her belongings. She kept her SIG-Sauer in its holster but put the S&M back into her not so small purse.

"I was thinking about the tire tracks," he said loudly enough for her to listen. "I'll take a picture, maybe that can help."

"Alright!" She was literally yelling now. Steve was fast, he took a picture then he ran back to the car. Catherine started the engine and didn't look at Steve while talking at him again. "I don't know why I didn't think of that.. I was actually thinking about calling the HPD and ask them to send a unit to process the scene but I'm not sure it's gonna happen, so it was probably a good idea," she admitted.

"Thanks," said Steve. "I just don't know how it'll help us.."

"Well, as far as I know, those marks were made by Bridgestone Potenza tires, not plus size, designed to fit both performance touring vehicles and domestic sedans. If you ask what my guess is, I'd say the car that was parked right there was a normal, dark colored sedan. It's gonna be a little hard because those are pretty regular tires, but maybe, with the images I'm about to get we can find a vehicle."

Catherine said that so calm like that was the most ordinary thing in the world, like she was talking about the weather or something like that. They were back on the streets when she finally looked at Steve; the look on his face couldn't show more surprise. He had one eyebrow arched while the other was kind of frowning, his mouth was slightly opened and his torso was positioned in a way that he had his back to the window while his eyes were fixed on her profile.

"What?" asked Catherine, her eyes flickering from Steve to the road then back at him.

"How do you know that? I don't know what kind of tire did that! How do you know?" Even his voice was showing surprise.

"I know things," she said with a shrug.

"Somebody told you.. The person you were talking to, he told you."

Catherine did not believe her ears. "What? My friend doesn't know that and he was busy trying to get what I asked him.."

"And what did you ask him?" That was pretty much what he was trying to ask her inside but she never answered him. Now, it seemed to be the perfect time to try to get some information again.

"Satellite images of your house, from approximately the time Danny found the envelope."

"He can do that?" Now he was also curious.

"Yes. He's still working on that. I might get the images in a few.. Check my phone," she said, tossing her BlackBerry to Steve.

"Nothing yet.. You're joking." Steve was buying that; she was just screwing with him.

Catherine frowned. "I am not joking. Just.. Get over it."

"Right.."

She addressed him a look that showed all of her frustration. At that precise moment, Catherine's phone rang.

"It's someone called Adams," said Steve; he still had her phone.

"Put it on speaker, please," Steve glanced at her curiously as he hit answer and did as she said.

"What's up, Trish?"

_"Aloha, babe.. So, I did as you asked and I just sent you what I got, but.."_ Trish made a kind of dramatic pause and Catherine didn't like that. When she spoke again, it was a plea. _"Please, Kate, don't act all Ari-"_

"Patricia stop. Right now, stop," she interrupted her loudly. She knew exactly what was coming and did not want Steve to hear that. "Give me the phone," she said; only one hand on the steering wheel, while the other was flat open.

_"What? What are you talking about?"_

"Not you, Patricia. McGarrett, the phone." The way she said their names, she knew right there she was being a little harsh and for almost no reason, but she just didn't want to deal with that at that moment.

Steve was looking directly at her. Clearly he wanted to know what was going on because they were most definitely talking about their case. Their case. Steve knew that Catherine had a hidden agenda but if it was something that could jeopardize the whole thing, and then he as the leader of the Five-0s had the right to know.

Maybe Catherine saw something like that in his eyes because Steve didn't even have to say a word, she just said "I didn't forget my promise. I will answer any question you have, you have my word. Just not right now. So, please, Steve, my phone."

Her light grey eyes were a bit darker and he could feel tension coming out of every pore of her body; the hand that she was holding the steering wheel was getting white and, if it was someone's neck, the person would be dead by now given the strength she was putting on that grip. Her breathing was also irregular so he gently gave her phone back.

Catherine muttered a thank you before deactivating the speaker.

"Hey, Trish.." Even though she tried to cover it, her voice wasn't steady.

_"I'm sorry, I didn't know there were others with you.. I'm really sorry."_ Trish's apologies were genuine and Catherine nodded. Not that the redhead could see that but she did it anyways.

"Don't worry. You didn't do anything wrong, so do not apologize," said Catherine firmly.

_"Alright, alright.. But Kate, you need to listen to me. I know you rather work alone, but this time.. Please. I'm begging you, Catherine. Please. Do not do this alone. Don't try to be a hero."_

"I'm not trying to be a hero," replied Catherine simply. "I just can't afford that. I can't do what you're asking."

_"Yes, you can! Kate, it was a long time and no one blames you. It wasn't your fault that Scott died."_

Hearing the name 'Scott' made Catherine tighten the grip on her phone and steering wheel; the blood wasn't running to her fingers anymore. Also, unconsciously she hit the gas and the speed went up immediately. Steve noticed that but, apparently, Catherine didn't.

"Trish, I respect and love you to death, you know that, but don't. Don't go there, you won't like it."

Steve kept his eyes on the woman by his side The way she said those words made him frown; he didn't know why but she was closer to the edge and he feared that she was living like that for a long time now.

_"I don't mind if you yell at me, get mad at me, hell, I don't care if you punch me! I just don't want to wake up one day, come to work and hear about your death!" _Trish was desperate; trying to argue with Catherine was sometimes as useful as speaking to a door. She was tough and a bit arrogant sometimes, but she was also one hell of an agent. Trish only feared that Fearless Catherine would end up deadly hurt someday. She closed her eyes and did the one thing she was sure would make her, at least, consider anything._ "Think about your family, Kate. Your brother who's here. Your parents that are somewhere looking after you.. Your grandfather.."_ Catherine took a deep breath, her foot still pressed against the gas pedal. She was easily above 85 miles per hour and, for the first time in a very long while, Steve felt a little bit of fear growing inside him.

"Hey, Catherine, slow down," he tried to talk to her but she wasn't listening.

Catherine inhaled deeply. Trish knew exactly what to say and that was creepy good. Her grandfather, along with her parents, wouldn't like it if she put herself in a situation that was too dangerous.

"Okay. Look, I have to go, now. I got something I was waiting. Talk to you later," she said quickly. She did get a message and she was sure it was Colin's images, but she also wanted to end that conversation.

Trish knew she would think a thousand times before acting now. She was still worried, but not as much as she was after doing her research. _"Hey, Kate.. Just, be careful. Alright?"_

"Will be. Bye Trish."

She barely waited to hear Trish saying "Bye". Ending the phone call, she let her phone rest between her thighs. Catherine could feel Steve's eyes fixed on her profile, waiting for her to say something, but that something never came.

Catherine finally noticed how fast she was going so she released a little bit of the pressure. She had barely paid attention to where she was going, but she was now only two blocks away from the Five-0 headquarters.

Parking the Camaro right in front of the building, she prepared herself for the wave of questions, which, surprisingly enough, it never came.

. . .


	8. Chapter 8

**Aloha people! So, once again, I'd like to state the fact that I do not owe Hawaii Five-0. But I owe Catherine Taylor, Don Reynold, Scott Rogers and a few other characters.. **

**This is probably the longest chapter I ever wrote in my life but **_SugarMuffin08_** said the longer the better so I hope you all enjoy!**

**A/N:**_ I'd like to apologize in advance in case there are any super weird/bizzare things such as locations and/or anything else. I've never been to Hawaii, much less Pearl Harbor, so I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA how the places are in reality. Also, I didn't do much edit on this chapter so, please, let me know if you find something that's very very wrong or awkward._

* * *

><p>"So, this is what I got," said Catherine. Her phone was on the smart table and everyone else was standing somewhere near it.<p>

It would be the first time she got to see what Colin sent her, but she was a hundred per cent positive he wouldn't let her down.

Opening the file, there were over ten pictures showing Steve McGarrett's house from above. Catherine almost smiled, but whatever possibility of that vanished the moment she took only a better look at the images in front of her.

"There," she zoomed one of the pictures. In the exact same spot she found the tire marks, she could now recognize a black sedan parked.

"It's a Chevy Malibu," said Kono. The Asian girl was now completely focused on the pictures on the smart table. "How did you get those images? They're pretty good.."

"I have a friend who works for the NSA," explained Catherine. None of them were actually shocked with that information, but they were sure surprised she got that in such short time.

"Nice," Kono said with a smile.

"Not so much.. I can't believe I missed it," she whispered but everyone heard. The car was hidden by the plants and the color helped the stealthiness, but, it could have been spotted if she had just looked the place around Steve's house before leaving.

Catherine felt Danny's hand on hers when she let her head fall down so her chin was now touching her chest. "Hey, it's alright."

She just nodded, not in agreement but in conformity.

"I took pictures of the marks the tire left on the ground," said Steve, trying to lighten the mood and the pressure Catherine was putting on herself. "If we put these two informations together, the tires and the car, we'll be able to narrow down and maybe have something to start working with."

"I got this." Kono was already on her way to identify the tire tracks and try to match it with black Chevy Malibus.

Catherine was going through the pictures to see if she could find something else, something to help the investigation, but didn't get anything else. She could see one man leaving the car by the passenger side and leaving the envelope on Steve's door but none of the pictures showed his face. The only thing she could get out of that it was that there were at least two people inside that car. How that would help, she had no clue at all. She sighed frustrated.

"Hey," Danny placed a hand on Catherine's shoulder - it was incredibly tense, just like her whole body. "Can I get you anything?"

She raised her eyes to meet his' and what Danny saw was something that made his heart sank. Standing in front of him was a thirty one years old, beautiful woman who was trying to carry the world upon her shoulders, and her eyes were showing how exhausted she was. The first thing that came to his mind was his partner. Danny saw that exact same expression several times on Steve's eyes, and just like the ex-SEAL, her answer was just the same.

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

Danny rolled his eyes and, taking her hand on his, he dragged Catherine with him to his office, not bothering with Steve's eyes locked on them.

"Okay, what's bothering you?"

Catherine tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"C'mon, Kate. I can tell when someone's not fine, and you, my friend, with all due respect, is definitely, **definitely** not fine. So, what is it?"

Catherine's eyes widened. Danny knew how to read people, and he totally read her right. "You're good," she said after a short moment of silence while she walk to his couch and let her body gracefully fall on it. "You're really good.."

"I know that, but it's always nice to hear someone saying it," he said joyfully while sitting by her side.

Danny didn't put any pressure on her so she could talk to him; he just sat there and reached for her hand. Their fingers were tangled and he just waited.

"I missed the car, Dan.." Her voice wasn't louder nor steady. Catherine threw her head back and kept her eyes shut. "I didn't see it there.."

"Hey," he squeezed her hand softly. "It happens. It wasn't your fault."

"It can't happen. I can't fail like that.. not again." Her voice was so shaken and so emotional that Danny felt lost for a while. He had no idea what happened but it was causing her so much suffer. Rubbing her hand gently, he tried to calm her.

"Don't worry, alright. Nothing happened so there's no need for you to do this to yourself, Kate!"

Her breathing pattern was disturbed. Danny's eyes flew to her face, but it was blank. Her eyes were closed and not even one muscle was moving.

.

Catherine could feel Danny's eyes on her but she didn't look at him; instead, she kept her eyes shut while trying to push her emotions aside.

She was thinking about the time she worked with a partner.. And how badly it ended. Thanks to Trish, now the name "Scott" was echoing loudly in her brain. She tried to shut it down, but maybe she wasn't doing her best because it never faded.

.

Steve's eyes followed Danny and Catherine when they, one more time, locked themselves into his office. Alone. Catherine was clearly upset because of the black Malibu, and Danny got to talk to her before he could.

Standing there alone, his thoughts drifted back to the weird phone call she got from Patricia Adams. Whatever she had to tell Catherine, it also distraught her a lot. Now, Steve was torn; he wanted to comfort the woman whom was sitting on Danny's couch, but he also needed answers. Why was she keeping them out like that in an investigation that she actually asked their help? What was she not telling them? She didn't trust them to work with her?

That last question made Steve himself think further. They were working together. She wasn't exactly a Five-0 but, technically, she was almost like part of the team.

"I got the results of the tires," said Kono to Steve who was looking at nowhere in particular. "They are Bridgestone Potenza tires. Size 225/50, used for 18x7 inches wheels," he smiled when he heard that. It was basically what Catherine told him. "And the car is definitely a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu. Anyway, I crossed references with the results I got from the Bridgestone tire, turns out they're sold in about five stores here in Honolulu, and all of them had those tires installed on Malibus. I got a list from each store, and the final list has seventeen names."

"Alright, good work Kono," said Steve taking the list she had in her hands.

"She's tough," said Kono all of a sudden. When Steve looked at her, he notices she had her eyes on Danny and Catherine.

"Yes, she is," agreed Steve, and suddenly, he knew exactly what to do.

Steve walked by Kono, to Danny's office. Opening the door, he couldn't help but notice his partner holding her hand with both hands, but tried his best to not jump on the wrong conclusions.

Hearing the sound of the door being open made Catherine open her eyes to check if something had come up. Steve was standing by the door with some sort of list in his hand.

"What is that?" she asked pointing the paper he was holding. Catherine totally missed the look Steve and Danny were exchanging.

Steve blinked and broke the eye contact. "Kono came up with a list of black Malibu's owners," he said simply.

"Let me see it," she said. Letting go of Danny's hands, she moved quite quickly to the door.

Once she got the list on her hands, Catherine walked out of Danny's office and walked towards the smart table.

.

"So, how come you're not complaining about working Saturday?" asked Steve shortly after Catherine walked past him.

"Rachel and Grace went back to New Jersey," said Danny. "Working sounds incredibly appealing now.."

"What? When?" Steve's eyebrows furrowed.

"When what?"

"When did Gracie and Rachel left? You said you'd have dinner with your daughter last night.."

"They left after dinner," said Danny weakly. "Shortly before you were arrested, they booked a ticket to return to the mainland. Apparently the flight couldn't leave due to some technical issues.. We had dinner together and after that.. they left."

He didn't say he was planning on going back too because that was unnecessary. Danny couldn't abandon his team - it was more than just work, they were his _ohana_. And, even though Gracie and Rachel were his family as well, the Five-0s needed him. And Rachel and Gracie would also be safer out of Hawaii.

"Danny, you can go if you want to. Grace is your daughter and you love Rachel, I get it.."

"Stop. Just, stop talking. We have a job to do."

"Let me tell you something," said Steve seriously. "Buy a ticket. Fly to New Jersey. Stay with your family for the rest of the weekend and then you come back Monday if you want to."

"You're serious?" asked Danny frowning. He stood up and walked to Steve. " You're really telling me to have a day off? Now?"

"Yes, that's pretty much what I'm saying," said Steve with a short nod.

"Okay, who are you and what you did to Steven McGarrett?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying. These past days were stressful, and now, about forty eight hours later we're working again. Kono just left prison and she's already here. I'm committed to this job, Danny. I've always been committed to my duties. But even I know when it's time to take a break," explained Steve. Shortly after Victor Hesse killed his father, he went back to O'ahu and got the job the Governor offered him. He didn't regret that decision not for a second, but every now and then, when he laid his head on his pillow, he felt way more tired than he had ever felt before. It was too much to handle alone - the death of his father and the job. But Danny's family was still alive, so he needed a chance; he had a choice.

"You do realize that probably Wo Fat's people put those pictures on your door, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"And you're really willing to stop for the weekend?"

"Danny, Kono just left prison. I just got out of jail myself. Catherine has been working nonstopping ever since she put her feet in Hawaii and you're doing just the same. I'm the leader of this team and I need to look after my people when they're too blind to see. I want to get these people as much as you want to, Danny, but in order to do that, we all need to be at our best."

Danny seemed to consider Steve's words for a moment. He was right. It wouldn't do any good if they just jumped on work like that, and a break would probably be good.

"Alright, maybe you're right," agreed Danny eventually. "But you need to be extra careful. You and Catherine," he made a move with his head indicating the woman working by the smart table. She was totally focused on that and Steve was right, Catherine didn't stop for a second ever since she came to Hawaii.

"Relax, Danno. I did this before," said Steve, tapping his partner on the shoulder. "I'll talk to Kono."

**xxx**

Catherine's eyes flew through the list of names Kono came up with. There were some Japanese last names but she didn't cross out any names yet. She was trying to get a hold on Trish but the TA wasn't answering her phone, so, she decided to go through the Yakuza files the redhead sent her before that phone call that went not so good.

She was still analyzing the information when someone joined her.

"Dan, hi.. I was just-"

"Working? Yeah, I noticed that.. What is it?" he said pointing to the file she was reading.

"Everything I got on the Yakuza. It's pretty huge, as you can see.."

"Where did you get this?" he asked. "NSA?"

"No," she said chuckling. "An FBI Tech Analyst I work with back in DC."

"Oh, you're pretty popular aren't you?"

"Not really, I just know a few people," she said smiling. It was so easy to talk to Danny. Not that it wasn't easy with Kono and Chin and Steve, but Danny had almost the exact same personality of her brother. Maybe it was because he was a parent and he had this instinct of protection going on and her brother was a lot like that as well, but she just loved being with him; Danny was like her brother in Hawaii.

Flashing Catherine a smile, Danny closed the files she was going through and put her phone on her jacket pocket.

"It's Saturday," he said before she could protest. "We're leaving."

"What?" Catherine's jaw dropped open when she saw Steve and Kono walking out of Kono's office. Apparently they were all leaving. "Are you serious?" she asked incredulous when the two of them joined Danny and herself.

"Yes," confirmed Steve. "We're leaving."

"Are you out of your mind?" Catherine did not believe that.

"No, I am not," said Steve in such a calm voice.

"It was your idea? Really?" She was talking directly to Steve now.

"Actually yes. One of the things I learn as a SEAL was to recognize when it was time to attack and when it was time to wait. This is our time to wait."

Catherine just shook her head. "Alright, do whatever you want to.."

She was thinking about getting her phone back when Steve's hands stopped her. "No. You're coming with us."

Catherine tried to say something but the next thing she knew was that she was literally being dragged out of the building. Steve was holding her hand while Danny had his arm around her shoulders.

.

"Where's your car, boss?" Kono asked when they got to the parking lot. There was only one car there. Danny's.

"I left it in my house when I went there," said Steve. He was totally regretting his decision now.

"That's pretty awesome," said Danny. "Let's go then, I'll give you all a ride."

**xxx**

"Stop! Danny, stop!"

Catherine tapped his shoulder from the back seat. Somehow, she and Kono managed to fit into that tiny little space.

Surprisingly enough, Danny was the one behind the steering wheel while Steve was the shotgun.

He pulled out of the street and did as she said. "You okay?" he asked turning to face her.

"Yeah, I'm brilliant. Could you, please, let me get out of the car?"

Not understanding what exactly was happening; he stepped out of the vehicle and let her do the same. Steve had left the car as well.

"What's going on?" asked Kono before Catherine could get out.

"Nothing," she said, flashing her a smile. "I just need some air, that's all."

"Want company?"

Catherine smiled. Kono was one of the nicest human beings she ever met in her life.

"No, I'm good, thanks Kono," she said squeezing Kono's hand.

"If you need anything, call me okay?"

"Will do," said Catherine with a nod.

"And Kate," said Kono when she was already out of the car. "Thanks again."

"Don't mention it, sweetie."

.

Danny was holding the door open even after Catherine climbed off of his silver Camaro.

"Is everything alright?" he asked. Concern written all over his face and body.

"Perfect," she said smiling, but Danny could see it was nothing but a façade.

"Kate.."

"I'm fine, Danny. I just rather walk," explained Catherine and he looked around. They were nowhere near Steve's place.

"It's gonna be a long walk, especially if you're wearing those crazy heels."

Looking at her shoes, she chuckled. "I can handle my heels, don't worry."

"Alright," he said giving up. Danny totally got her message - she wanted some privacy. "But if you need anything. Anything. Don't even hesitate. Just call me, okay?"

Catherine felt her heart melt. The way Danny and Kono were treating her was more than she could ever ask. They made her feel like she was part of something, and that was more than great.

"Got it, Danno," she whispered. Her voice was failing.

"Come here," he said pulling her close so he could hug her. "Whatever you need, you can count on me," Danny whispered in her ear; she couldn't help but smile and wrap her arms around his body.

"Thank you, Dan."

"No," he said loosening his embrace. "Thank you, Kate." When she let him go and looked into his eyes, he noticed her grey eyes were getting wet.

"Take care, you."

"You too," she said giving him one last smile and walking to the side walk.

Steve followed every single move Catherine made and, when she walked away from Danny, he put his head inside the car and told Kono to come to the front seat; after that, he followed Catherine.

.

It didn't actually surprised Catherine when she heard footsteps behind her and all of a sudden, Steve McGarrett appeared there, by her side.

They've been walking silently for about two minutes or more when Steve finally broke the silence.

"Are you hungry?"

Catherine laughed with Steve's question. That was totally unexpected, but now that he asked, she noticed it was about two pm and she didn't have lunch.

"I could eat," she said without looking at Steve.

"I know a place," he said smirking at her, then he stopped a cab that was just passing by.

Steve gave the address to the driver and soon enough, they were on their way. He noticed that Catherine was distant and even more mysterious after that phone call and that was driving him crazy.

.

"Here we are, and I hope you like pizza," said Steve when the driver killed the engine in front of a quite small place, yet very inviting.

"It's two thirty pm and I haven't had any breakfast," said Catherine while walking by Steve who, to her surprise, held the door open for her. "I'm pretty sure I'll like anything anyone offers me right now."

Steve smiled at her and that simple thing took her breath away. Catherine had no idea what he had in mind, but, as her mom used to say "in for a penny, in for a pound". She had left the security of her house in DC to go back to that island so full of memories and latent emotions. Whatever it was bound to happen, bring it.

.

"So, mind if I ask you what's this all about?" asked Catherine once they were done. They made some small talk while eating that unusual pineapple pizza that Steve swore it was the best and, in fact, it was quite great to be honest.

"I'd like to speak with you," said Steve. She noticed his keen eyes scanning every inch of her face.

"I figured," she said with a nod, indicating she was okay with that. Catherine promised him he'd have his answers and it actually surprised her the fact that he didn't get to that earlier. "What are your questions for me?" she said looking deep in his eyes.

"There's something I'd like to discuss with you first," said Steve and Catherine moved on her chair.

"Alright," she said sitting back.

"Like I said before, I don't know how you're used to work with your team back in DC and I understand that you might not be completely willing to work with different people. Trust me, I get it. But we're working together here and believe me when I say that people got hurt for the most pathetic reasons, and many others died for so much less." Steve made a pause to study her expression. It hasn't changed a bit. She was the toughest woman he had ever seen in his entire existence. Maybe she was tougher than Steve McGarrett himself.

"People got hurt for the most pathetic reasons here, and others died for not much more. You invited me to work with you, Catherine. That means we're a team now. We're your team here so, you need to trust us a little bit better instead of running towards the epicenter of the danger and with no backup. "

Catherine took a couple of deep breaths, trying to organize her thoughts. Steve was waiting for her to say something now.

"First of all, I don't work with a team in DC," she said simply. "I don't have a team, I'm not part of a team, I don't even have a partner," she made a pause. Steve was surprised but not that much. Catherine didn't seem to be someone who was used to follow orders or even share responsibilities as he noticed in that short period of time they worked together.

"But I'll try to adjust my behavior in order to get the job done without any serious consequences to anyone of your.. team." That last word almost died before coming out of her mouth; even though she was the one to ask Steve if he wanted to work with her, Catherine wasn't particularly excited to work with a team. Too many bad memories.

He noticed her flinch and frowned. "What?"

Taking a deep breath, Catherine reminded herself that she promised to tell him anything he wanted to know.

"There's something you need to know.." said Catherine and Steve put both elbows on the table, leaning forward. "But.. do you mind if we continue this conversation somewhere else?"

The place was almost empty if not for them and a couple of other people, but he agreed with that.

"Alright.. Where would you like to go?"

.

Steve was paying their check while Catherine called a cab. She was waiting outside for their ride when he joined her.

"So, where are we going to?"

"I know a place," she said simply and smiled when Steve gave her a quite amusing face.

"Alright," he said, putting his hands on his front pocket, they both stood there. Waiting.

The driver that drove Catherine to the Five-0 headquarters were there in fast five minutes.

"Aloha! Thanks for answering in such short time," she said while sliding on the back seat, making room to Steve.

"Mahalo, lady."

Without a word, the old driver was back on the streets.

"I assume you're not telling me where we're going," said Steve to Catherine.

"I'm pretty sure you'll figure it by yourself," she said, a small smile making her whole face brightens.

.

"Really? You wanna be a tourist now?" asked Steve. They were on their way to the Pearl Harbor.

Catherine didn't say a word; she just kept going. She walked into the US Pacific Fleet like that was the most ordinary thing in the world and Steve couldn't help but wonder what exactly they were doing there. Approaching an Officer, she gave him the standard military hand salute and Steve just watched that scene.

"I'm looking for Rear Admiral Reynolds, please. Tell him it's Catherine Taylor who's asking."

With a short nod and a "Yes, ma'am", the young Lieutenant turned his back to Catherine and left. When she never looked at Steve, he took a few steps and stood in front of her.

"Rear Admiral Reynolds? Seriously?" Steve didn't know the Rear Admiral personally, but it surprised him so much that Catherine knew him.

Catherine didn't even try to hide a smile. "He's an old friend," she said with a shrug.

"You have lots of friends, Agent Taylor," said Steve and the smile on her face grew bigger.

"I'm friendly, Commander," she replied playfully. Then, her eyes met someone right behind Steve. "Excuse me," she said and walked past him.

Steve turned to see where she was going, or whom she was walking towards.

Walking along with the young lieutenant Catherine spoke with not too long ago, there was an older man: tall, very athletic body and a quite handsome guy for someone who was easily on its early fifties. Catherine's pace increased and she met him halfway.

"Don!" she exclaimed while Don Reynolds closed his arms around her body.

"Catherine! I thought Lieutenant Robins here was joking when he said Catherine Taylor was here," he said indicating the man by his side.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," she flashed him a smile and the guy went scarlet. He muttered something but she didn't understand exactly what and soon enough he went back to where he was.

"So, what brings you to Hawaii?"

"Work, mainly," she admitted, putting up a sad face that wasn't for real. "But that's not why I'm here," she added. Turning her body a little bit to her right, she noticed Steve a few steps behind her. With a little movement of her head, she invited him to join her.

"Don, this is-"

"Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett," he completed her sentence. Don had his eyes locked on Steve; he gave him the military hand salute as soon as he joined them both, just like Catherine did a while ago to the Lieutenant.

"Rear Admiral. Sir." Steve's voice was incredibly tense and professional.

"I've heard of you, McGarrett" said Don. Catherine didn't miss the tension in his voice as well. He probably heard about Steve's involvement with the Pat Jameson's death.

"Don," Catherine felt the urge to interrupt whatever was going on there. "Steve is a friend," she said looking deep into Don's hazel eyes. She knew that man good enough to know when he wasn't comfortable.

"Friend, huh?" Catherine chuckled silently when he said that, especially after Steve's response.

"Yes, sir."

"Hey, Don, I was wondering if you could help me," Catherine asked softly.

"Anything, _Zona_."

Catherine's eyes met the ground for a short second when Don called that.

"I'd like to get closer.." Her voice wasn't louder than a whisper but Don immediately knew what she was asking for.

"Sure, kid. Would you like someone to take you down there?"

Steve had no idea what they were talking about, but he didn't leave Catherine's side.

"No, no.. That won't be necessary.. If I could sit somewhere close it's good enough. And somewhere quiet," she added and glanced at Steve. "We need to talk," she explained when Don's eyes flew to Steve.

"Alright," he agreed. "Come on," said Don. With one arm around her shoulder, he walked with her to the USS Missouri. Catherine looked over her shoulder and noticed Steve was following them.

Don Reynolds took them on board and asked the few men who were working there to give them some space even though the battleship was closed to visitation that Saturday.

"Take your time, kid," he said looking deep in her eyes. Catherine felt her eyes getting wet and blinked the tears away. Don noticed that and rubbed her shoulders. "And McGarrett," his voice went a bit louder and startled Catherine and Steve. "I heard about what happened.. how did you get out?"

"Catherine, Sir." He said simply and Don smiled at him.

"I'm glad. I didn't believe that. Someone from the Navy wouldn't be involved with the murder of the Governor. Much less a SEAL," he said looking at the Lieutenant Commander. Catherine noticed both Steve and Don had this small smile on their faces. "And no matter what people may think or say about it, O'ahu is a safer place with the Five-0s, Commander."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Call me Don," he said simply.

"Alright, Don."

"Yeah," he nodded. "You know, Steve.. I know Arizona here ever since she was born and even after that. I never met any of her friends. Not even her fiancé. Don't make me wish I didn't meet you, boy."

Catherine's eyes widened and she turned quickly to Don. "Alriiight. You can go now!" she said, and playfully she pushed him away. Don just chuckled.

"Hey kid, it's good to see you.. And if you need anything while you're here, you have my phone and you know where to find me."

He was holding her by her arms and she couldn't help but hug him. "Thanks, Don," she whispered while he held her. "For everything."

"Don't mention it, _Zona_," he placed a kiss on her forehead. "And behave you two," he said playfully, loud enough so that Steve could listen.

"Yes, dad," she replied using the same tone.

"Take care," he said before leaving them alone in the deck.

"You too.."

Catherine watched as Don Reynolds walked away. He was friends with her father and mother, and she knew him since always. Now, standing on the deck of the Missouri, in Hawaii, that made her miss her family so much more.

She let a tear fall, but that was just it. Nothing more than that. Brushing it away with her thumb, she turned to face Steve, who was standing about five steps away from her.

.

"You alright?" he asked when she closed the space between them and continued walking towards the forward part of the Mighty Mo. Even though she tried to hide, he could see she was sad.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He wasn't expecting her to say anything different than that.

"So, how do you know him?" asked Steve curiously when they reached the bow.

"Well," said Catherine. She was taking her heels off and let her purse fall somewhere next to her long gone shoes. "He's a family friend to be honest," she explained while sitting on the ground. Steve followed her in a heartbeat. "I know him since, well, you heard the man.. always."

"Nice," he said smiling.

"Yeah," she muttered while her eyes got lost in the huge ocean in front of them. Steve didn't say anything. They were there to talk, but he allowed Catherine to have that moment to herself, it appeared that she needed that a lot. That and the fact that she looked absolutely stunning made him just want to look at her.

"So," she said after a moment or two. "As we were talking, there's something I need to say.."

Steve flinched where he was sitting. Catherine was serious again.

"Alright, what's that?"

She took a deep breath before speaking. "I had a partner once.. But, it ended.. badly." She was to say bloody but she couldn't.

"How badly?" he asked sitting straight.

"He died," said Catherine all of a sudden, but not looking at him. "I couldn't avoid it." Steve couldn't find voice nor words to say anything. He just stood there, silently. With another deep breath, she continued with her eyes fixed somewhere far on the ocean. "Six years ago I was new on the FBI and was told I'd work with someone with a little more experience and there he was; his name was Scott Rogers and we worked together for about two years.. Until-" her voice failed and she made a short pause. "Until we were assigned to this case in Detroit. We were close to ending it; we got everything, evidence, statements, even the location of the guy we were after. The local police was helping and the plan was simple. Get in, get the guy and leave. Just like that.. But something went wrong and the next thing I know he's being shot. In the neck.."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Steve said gently when her voice failed one more time.

"It should've been me. The shot was addressed to me." Her voice was icy and Steve saw raw pain in her eyes. She blamed herself for that. "I didn't see the shooter.."

"There were other people there with you, and no one saw either," he said, trying to give her some perspective.

"It doesn't matter! Someone's mistake won't justify mine's. I'm responsible for me and also for my partner while on the streets, Steve." She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

"Hey," Steve rubbed her arm softly. The warmth of his skin on hers made her shiver and she looked at him. His eyes were blue and inviting. "Stop blaming yourself."

"How can I?" she said a bit louder. "My partner died and there's nothing I can do about it. I'll take that with me until the day I die. I'll never forget that. And that's why I don't work with a team, nor a partner anymore. What if the same thing happened again?"

Catherine's eyes were dark and her face expression was heartbreaking. She blamed herself for his death, even after all those years, and Steve knew he couldn't talk her out of that.

"No one can say if that'll happen again or not, but that shouldn't keep you from working with someone else to protect you."

Catherine smiled and shook her head. "You don't get it. I can't stand losing someone else. I can't allow that."

"So what? You'll risk your life? Everyday? This isn't right, Catherine! For God's sake, it's irrational not to mention how it's incredibly selfish!"

"Selfish?" Her face twisted with disbelief. "How is it selfish to not want someone else get hurt?"

That conversation wasn't as friendly as Steve thought it would be.

"Because you're only thinking about yourself! You don't care what others might feel if you're the one getting shot at because you're afraid of working with someone else!" He didn't mean to yell, but he did. And judging by the surprised look on Catherine's face, his words hit her hard.

Steve took a deep breath and cursed himself for that. She was on the edge and what he had done? Practically pushed her further, if he didn't make her fall.

"Look, Catherine.. I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to-" Her raised hand silenced him immediately.

"No. Do not apologize," she said firmly. After a couple of seconds she raised her eyes to face him. "You're probably right. I've thought about that. Several times. And just as much I was told I shouldn't act like that.. Well, you witnessed that today," she said weakly. "Trish. She was worried about me and my safety. And I think about all that. What would my friends do when they learn I was shot, or worse? What would be my brother's reaction? How would he feel.. But the thing is.. I don't think I can handle risking someone else's life."

Steve was impressed with what he was seeing, with what he just learned about her.

"Once we get into this life, Catherine, we're all assuming the risks," he said softly. "You're not responsible for your partner's death. If you want to blame someone, blame the guy who fired the gun.. Not yourself. You worked together for two years. If it was because of you that he was murdered, the that would have happened the day you met him."

Catherine chuckled silently. She heard that speech so many times she couldn't even remember. But when he said it, maybe it was because of the reassuring tone he used, maybe it was because she trusted him, or maybe it was just because she liked him a lot, the thing is, when Steve McGarrett said that, she believed in every single word.

But a memory made her have second thoughts.

"Would your speech be the same if you got hurt this morning because I didn't see that car by your house?"

Catherine bit her lip. The simple idea of Steve getting hurt was able to put her on the edge again.

"I didn't see it either," he said. "Besides, what makes you think I was the one who would get hurt?"

Catherine just smiled. He was so sure of everything; it was unbelievable.

"But answering your question, if I got hurt today and then you said everything you just said to me, I'd still keep my speech that it wasn't your fault... And you, being part of the team at least for now, I'd be glad I was the one being hurt and not you."

Catherine had her eyes locked on Steve's and she forgot to breathe when he said that. Did he just say he considered her part of his team? That and the fact that he rather being hurt instead of her made her feel al tingly inside.

"Don't say that. Danny would kill me if you got hurt," she said playfully.

"Oh, I bet he wouldn't mind as long as you were intact."

Catherine noticed he wasn't saying everything. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Steve leaned back, his arms supporting his weight from behind. "Danny's very protective when it comes to you and your safety," he said casually.

"That's probably because he's a parent. He's protective when it comes about pretty much everyone, including you."

Steve shrugged. "Maybe.. maybe not."

Suddenly, Catherine understood what he was saying. "Oh, don't be silly," she said incredulous. "Danny loves Rachel and I do not see him like that. He's like a brother to me.."

Steve just chuckled, and Catherine reached her arm to grab her purse. Fishing for her wallet, she took a picture and handed it to Steve.

"Who's that?" he asked, sitting straight again while looking at that image. He could see a younger version of Catherine being hugged by a tall, blonde and tanned guy.

"That's my brother. Jacob. He and Danny are completely different physically speaking, but, when it comes about their personality and that protective instinct, they're very much alike. Danny reminds me of Jacob and I like that. Love it to be honest.. Makes me feel like I'm not alone here. He's literally like a brother."

Suddenly everything made sense in his head. Jake was Jacob. Jacob was her brother. That's why he called her and questioned her about so many things. He smiled inwardly but not for too long. There was some guy named Colin, not to mention Don said something about a fiancé.

Steve gave her the picture back. Putting it on its place, Catherine dropped the wallet back on her purse and put it aside one more time.

"So, you have any questions for me?" she asked, shifting her eyes to the horizon. The wind chose that exact same moment to blow and make her hair fly and tease her skin, making Steve feel jealous.

Steve half smiled. That woman was something, and something really nice.

"How come someone like you ended up as an FBI agent?"

Catherine arched an eyebrow. "What exactly do you mean by someone like me? Choose your words carefully," she added, not exactly threatening him, more like lightening the mood.

"Let's just say when I first saw you, the last thing that crossed my mind was the thought you were a law enforcement agent."

She bit the inner part of her lower lip while putting up a pensive face. Steve had to find somewhere else to look at but her voluptuous red lips that were so incredibly inviting. "It's kind of like family business," she said finally. "My father worked for the Bureau too."

"Worked?"

"Yes. Past tense. He and my mother died twelve years ago," said Catherine; her voice was steady but wasn't much louder than a whisper. She avoided talking about that to anyone, even her own brother sometimes, but she felt like she could trust Steve. "Drunk driver.. Anyways, my dad inspired me to be what I am today. My dad and my grandfathers."

Steve locked his eyes on hers when he heard that. Catherine suffered major lost but, somehow, she found strength to keep going. That was one hell of a woman.

"I'm sorry to hear about your parents," he said sincerely.

Catherine had to blink more than just a couple of times to made the tears vanish. She didn't want to be a weak.

"Thank you," she smiled at him.

.

"Can I ask you something?" asked Steve about a minute later.

"Sure. Anything," she said calmly, with her arms holding her legs.

"Are you engaged?"

"I was," she answered. Crossing her legs, she glanced at Steve. "I broke up with him shortly after I came to Hawaii, about a year ago."

"Can I ask why it didn't work?"

"We were essentially different.. And he cheated on me."

Steve's eyes went wide open. "Really?"

"Yep. But we were already done.. Honestly, I have no idea why I accepted his proposal."

"And he was a cop too?"

"History teacher," she said then looked at Steve. "Don't ask."

"Oh, but I have to.. How?"

Catherine laughed softly and that made Steve want her so much more. "Honestly? Thinking about it now, I have no idea. But he was nice and caring.. We met not much longer after my parents died, so I guess I just didn't want to be alone, even if that mean being with someone that didn't give me butterflies or whatever it is that people say about love.. And then, everyone was expecting us to be together, so he proposed and I said yes.. Then I broke up."

"I'd say I'm sorry.. But I'm not," said Steve simply. He meant evey word.

"I'm not either," she said joyfully. "The only thing I regret is that it took me a long time to get out of that."

Steve looked her with the corner of his eye and he could see she her little smile.

"Alright, I have another question," he said and she looked at him. "What's _Zona_?"

Catherine blinked and looked away for a moment, and that made Steve wonder if he had gone too far.

"That's how my family call me. And the ones that are closer to me," she explained; even thou Steve nodded, she knew he didn't quite get it. Inhaling deeply, she continued. "My full name is Catherine Arizona Taylor," she said, looking straight forward and not to Steve. "I was named after her," she made a movement with her head and Steve looked at what she was pointing. "The USS Arizona.. My two grandfathers died there.. Their bodies are buried somewhere below that memorial."

Steve's eyes drifted from the USS Arizona memorial back to Catherine's profile, but her eyes never left the white construction.

"Last Monday was the birthday of one of them," she whispered and he could see the tears pooling on her eyes and when they fell, it left a glowing track down her cheeks.

This time, Catherine didn't fight the tears that were falling from her eyes, one after another, nonstopping. Even though she was aware of Steve's presence there and how his eyes were locked on her, she couldn't help it. She missed both her grandfathers, her parents.. she missed trusting someone completely and she was missing all that and more for such long time and she was trying to hide that for so long that now, looking at the while memorial, she didn't have strength enough to keep pretending those feelings weren't there, instead, she let them hit her and the tears were inevitable. She wouldn't fight them, not today.

Today, sitting on the deck of the old battleship USS Missouri and looking at the last place her grandfathers took their last breath, Catherine Arizona Taylor was tired of pretending to be unbreakable, and just like the USS Arizona battleship sank, she allowed herself to give in and drown into that sea of memories and emotions she hadn't visit in such a long time. And if that mean that she would cry an ocean, then so be it. She was so incredibly exhausted..

. . .

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><p><em>Thanks everyone who's reading this. Let me know what you think; Feedback is greatly appreciated :)<em>


	9. Chapter 9

**Aloha sailors! Thank you to everyone who's reading this story! I hope you all enjoy it!**

_**SugarMuffin08, thanks for your unconditional support, encouragement and help! **_

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><p><em>Today, sitting on the deck of the old battleship USS Missouri and looking at the last place her grandfathers took their last breath, Catherine Arizona Taylor was tired of pretending to be unbreakable, and just like the battleship sank, she allowed herself to give in and drown into that sea of memories she hadn't visit in such a long time. And if that mean that she would cry an ocean, then so be it. She was so incredibly exhausted.<em>

.

Seeing Catherine break down like that, Steve felt his heart clenched, like there was an invisible hand squeezing it hardly. He was just getting used to the tough and hard on the outside Catherine, and now he learned how vulnerable she could be.

"Come here," said Steve moving closer to her. Reaching out for Catherine's body, he pulled her into a tight embrace. She didn't even try to resist, she just allowed Steve to wrap his arms around her while she sat there, silently letting her emotions flow.

He kissed the top of her head while rubbing gently her back. Steve McGarrett could relate to what she was feeling at that moment. Their stories were oddly similar, but hers was a little more dramatic. Now he understood perfectly why she was who she was. Life taught her tough lessons, and that was the way she found to survive.

_'Arizona is a very appropriate name,'_ Steve thought to himself. His respect and admiration for her had grown a lot more now that he knew all that.

.

Having Steve's warm body and his strong arms holding her, Catherine almost felt safe again, and peaceful. Like she was had went through the greatest storm ever and now she was in dry land.

She didn't remember feeling like that ever since her parents died so she allowed herself to enjoy that; for now, that was all she wanted and needed.

"My grandfather is there too," said Steve after what a while.

"I know," she whispered. Brushing the tears away, Catherine noticed the front of his shirt was incredibly wet - she wondered how much she cried. "I've been here before," Catherine's voice was still just a whisper. Steve loosened the embrace but didn't let go. "But it was a long time ago.. I don't remember much.."

"We met?" he asked, pushing Catherine just a little but so he could look at her. She instantly missed his heartbeats and warmth.

"No. We didn't. But your last name is familiar, so, I put the pieces together."

"You're smart." A joyful smile appeared on his face.

"So I've been told," replied Catherine, completely unaware of the world. Any of them seemed to be aware of the fact that they were sitting on the deck of a battleship turned into a museum just inches away from each other until Catherine's phone rang. The sound coming from her purse startled both, bringing them back from their obliviousness.

Disentangling herself from Steve's arms, she reached for her BlackBerry.

"Agent Taylor." Her voice was as regular as her breathing, which means completely messed up.

_"Heeey, doll.. Are you alright?"_ Trish didn't miss the change in Catherine's voice.

"Yeah.. Yes. I'm perfect," she said running her hand through her hair.

_"You sure? Sounds like you've been running.. Or doing some other kind of cardio activity.."_

Catherine noticed the insinuation and her eyes flew to Steve, who was sitting in the exact same spot. Mumbling an _'excuse me'_, she stood up and took a few steps away from Steve. Catherine knew Trish good enough to know she was suspecting something, even though she wasn't there. And she didn't want to even think about what kind of conversation the redhead could come up with, not close to Steve at least.

"Yes, woman. I am sure. Now, why did you call?"

_"Oh! I totally interrupted something, didn't I? Who is he?"_

Catherine rolled her eyes. Trish was miles and miles away but she could totally see she was grinning and it was also reflected in her eyes. "There is no he! Could you just focus on what you were to tell me?"

_"Alright, alright.. But don't think I'll let it pass. You'll tell me everything about him."_

"Trish.. Work. Please."

"Okay. So, I did as you asked and checked that list of names you send me, then I crossed references with the names of people who own Chevy Malibus in Hawaii and then I crossed it all with any possible connection with the Yakuza and/or Wo Fat.."

"And?"

_"Nothing.."_

"You have got to be kidding me."

_"No, my love. I'm afraid this is not a joke."_

"DAMN!"

Catherine cursed loudly. As soon as she put her hands on that list she called Trish, in hopes that she could help her narrow it down. Now that she said nothing came up, she was so incredibly frustrated.

_"I'm sorry, darling.. But I'll keep working on that. I have some ideas and hopefully I'll get some answers, but it's pretty late over here so.."_

"Don't worry, sweetie. You do what you can and when you can. We're having a break here so take your time. Call me when you have something."

_"Alright.. Now who is he again? Is that Steve guy?"_

"Bye, Trish.."

_"I'll find out who he is, Catherine!"_

"There is nothing to find out," she said in response. Her eyes flew from where Steve was sitting, but he wasn't there anymore. He had her purse and her shoes in his hands and was walking to meet her. "I gotta go. Thanks, ginger."

_"You're welcome, love."_

By the time she hang up, Steve was standing by her side.

"We should get going. There's a storm coming," he said pointing to the sky. It was getting dark very quickly. "And it's coming fast."

"I think we should call Danny," she said after considering Steve's words.

"No," he said while stopping her from getting her phone back. "He won't make it in time. Besides, our ride is on its way."

Catherine cocked an eyebrow while looking at Steve - she was torn between curious and doubtful about whatever he was up to. She trusted Steve, but she most certainly didn't like to be left in the dark, not knowing what's going on.

Steve noticed she was getting tense. "Relax," he said with a smile. "Trust me on this okay?"

Even though she still have doubts, Catherine nodded. Reaching out for her belongings on Steve's hand, she shivered when his finger touch her skin. Telling herself more than just a couple of times it was because of the cool wind, she wore her nude stilettos quickly and made her way out of the ship with Steve walking right behind her.

.

"Just in time!"

Steve walked past Catherine and she just stood there, watching it. He was talking to an incredibly tall and large man, but he had a friendly face so she lost her suspicious expression and changed it with a curious one.

"Catherine, this is Kamekona," said Steve introducing her to the man. "Kamekona, this is Catherine Taylor."

"Hi," she said shaking his hand. He gave her a smile and she couldn't help but smile back – he was rather big but she didn't think he was a threat.

"Thanks for bringing my car, brother." He kinda hugged Kamekona, who was standing by a blue Chevy Silverado.

"Anytime, boss."

"Want a ride?" Steve offered before sitting behind the steering.

"Nah, thanks. I still have a few things to do here."

"Alright. Mahalo again."

Kamekona just waved while Steve and Catherine pulled the truck out of where he had parked.

.

Catherine had her eyes locked on the outside, watching the landscape being colored orange with the sunset.

"You know, you should hold your enthusiasm," said Steve playfully. "It's way too overwhelming, I can barely concentrate."

She smiled hearing Steve's voice; it made Catherine bring her eyes and attention back to the man by her side. "Sorry.."

Steve made a movement with his head indicating it was nothing. "Don't worry.. So, you don't have any comments about this car?"

"Well, it is a nice car.. But I like the Mercury Marquis better, for what it's worth," she said simply.

Steve cocked an eyebrow while looking at her. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong. This one is pretty awesome but the '74 in your garage is a classic."

"Huh.. Impressive," he said thinking out loud. It intrigued Catherine.

"What is?"

"You," Steve admitted looking directly at her. "Most women would never say that, or know about cars."

"I'm not like most women," said Catherine with a mischievous grin on her face that made Steve smile inwardly.

"I assume that's how you knew about the tire marks." It wasn't exactly a question, but Steve was hoping that she's talk a bit more.

"Sort of," she said amused. When she looked at Steve, he had this intrigued expression in his eyes so she decided to keep talking. "I love cars. Cars and motorcycles are my passion. When I was a little girl, my dad took me and my brother to see the NASCAR. Jake didn't fell for it but I loved that immediately. Then, I learned a lot about it while I was fixing a 1967 Chevy Impala with my dad. I used to tell my father if I didn't make it as a cop, I'd be a pilot. My mom hated the idea, and so did Jake, but my dad and I, we used to have a blast!" Catherine chuckled. "I did get into a few races and was not a disappointment. I was quite good to be honest.. But then, things happened, my priorities were settled and now I'm an FBI Agent. But my passion for this world never left, and that's why I recognized those marks."

Steve glanced at Catherine every now and then while she was talking. He could see joy all over her face while she talked about her family but he still could see traces of sadness.

"You were daddy's little girl, weren't you?" said Steve trying to lighten the mood; he didn't want to see her falling apart again.

Catherine laughed softly and the sound of her laughs filled the car and Steve. That was such a beautiful sound, like music to his ears. "Yeah, I suppose you can say that." She brought herself to look at Steve and learned he had his eyes on her. They held each other's glance for a while until the roaring of the engine and the sound of raindrops falling merciless on the outside brought them back.

They did some small talk until they got to Steve's house, but Catherine couldn't stop thinking about how hard it would be to stay with that man, sharing the same house, under the same roof, and fight her feelings that were so out of control.

Her previous plans of moving to a hotel went down the hill when she learned about the pictures, the note and the car that was observing Steve's house. She would never forgive herself if Steve got hurt.

.

"Damn, I don't have an umbrella," said Steve when he parked in front of his house. His garage was already occupied and the rain was pouring, like the sky itself was collapsing.

"Are you made of sugar, Commander?" asked Catherine very amused before she opened the door and ran towards the door; Steve didn't even have time to reply to her witty comment.

He followed her after a second or two. It was a short run til his door but by the time they got there, they both were soaked wet. Steve met Catherine and they both had this childlike smile on their faces.

Catherine tried to remember when was the last time she felt like that: lively, happy, light and free. Not in a long time. Looking deep in Steve's blue eyes, her smile grew wider, almost turning into a laugh.

Her eyes flew to the front yard of his place; inside her, the idea of going out there again, bringing Steve with her just to kiss him in the pouring rain. She never had a kiss in the pouring rain.

Waving that thought away, she shook her head, trying to get rid of some of the water in her hair. Steve was trying to find the right key to unlock the door and got distracted when a few drop hit his face.

"What are you doing?" he asked, not mad at her, just playing along with the joyful mood that settled between them.

"Waiting for you to open this door! You want me to do it for you?" She asked defiantly, but, just like Steve, she was just being humorous. Somehow, those two super serious human beings suddenly turned into playful and cheerful people. "Is it too rocket science even for a Navy Intelligence former SEAL?"

"No!" Steve replied, faking to be outraged. "I get this, Special Agent."

They both chuckled and Steve unlocked the door; holding it open, he allowed Catherine to get inside first.

"After you, ma'am."

Catherine's eyes widened and she faked a British accent. "Thank you, Sir," she said with a smile. "Guess chivalry isn't dead after all."

Once they were both inside, she checked her purse to see if all her belongings were still dry, then let it hit the ground with a thud when she learned it was all good.

Catherine had taken off her jacket and had her light blue dress shirt unbuttoned when she noticed Steve's eyes on her. "What? You should probably get rid of these clothes, unless you're planning on get a cold or something," she said simply as she made her way to the stairs and into the room she had woken up.

She had just ditched the dress shirt when Steve knocked at the door.

"I.. uh- I need to get some.. dry clothes, if you don't mind.."

Steve's voice wasn't steady, but then again, Catherine was in his own bedroom wearing nothing but her grey trousers and a white tank top that was seriously wet and he could see through it, spotting her also while bra. She didn't seem to bother with that because she said an "_of course not_" and turned her attention to her baggage, trying to find some clothes to herself.

Catherine didn't notice Steve taking a deep breath before going through his wardrobe and taking one of his cargo pants, sweat pants, two pair of shirts, boxers and socks. They had their backs turned to each other so they didn't see what the other was doing when the turned. Steve and Catherine literally walked into each other.

"My God, I'm sorry!" They said at the same time. Their clothes fell on the ground and they held one another.

Catherine's eyes met Steve's and her mind went blank for a moment. His hands were on her upper arms, as he was trying to keep her steady, while her hands were flat open on his chest. She could feel his warmth all over her body and the feel of his broad chest under her fingertips was something that she wasn't ready for at that moment. She quickly withdrew her hands and looked down, not before taking a good look at his figure; she saw him shirtless just the day before but she was so damn tired to notice how fit he was.

"I'm sorry," she repeated while taking a step back. Kneeling, she gathered her clothes without looking at the man in front of her. Catherine was biting the inner part of her lower lip; she needed to get her shit together. Again.

"It wasn't your fault, relax."

She noticed Steve had his weight supported by one knee as he took his clothes too. And he was too close. Even though it was almost 7pm, she could still smell his perfume - and it was intoxicatingly good.

"Yeah." Catherine stood up quickly and took her towel that was hanging somewhere near her bag. "I'll use the bathroom downstairs.." she said and walked out as fast as the lightning striking outside.

Steve didn't even have time to say a word and she was already gone. Standing in the middle of his room, his mind wandered to what just happened, when his arms reached out to Catherine's to keep her steady after he almost walked over her. He felt her soft hands on his chest and it was just enough to make his heart rate increase, only her soft and warm hands touching his chest. And when their eyes met, Steve could swear that, for a split second, he saw something in her eyes that made his heart skip a beat. Steve could swear he had seen desire in her eyes.

**xxx**

It was about five o'clock in the morning when Catherine's phone rang, startling her; she almost jumped off the bed.

"Taylor." Her voice was a bit husky, even though she went to bed early the night before - she was still getting used to the Hawaiian time, after all, six hours was a huge difference.

_"Sorry to call you this early, Kate."_ Trish used her best apologizing tone to talk to Catherine. _"But you said I was supposed to call you as soon as I find something.."_

Rubbing her eyes, trying to get rid of the sleep, Catherine sat down in the middle of the bed. "Don't worry, Trish.. So, what did you find?"

_"Remember when I told you yesterday I didn't find anything?"_ She didn't even let Catherine say something. _"I didn't like that. So I ran background on every single, which is why it took me this long to call you back by the way."_

"And?" Her voice had an urgent tone. Trish knew how to make her flip out sometimes.

_"And three names on that list are particularly interesting.."_ Trish made a pause long enough to Catherine get out of bed - she needed her laptop and the list and both things were downstairs. _"Okay. Burt Holland does not live in Hawaii or anywhere near the island, Henry Jackson's current address is at the morgue and Joshua Parker didn't exist until 2003."_

Catherine stopped in the middle of the stair for a moment to process that information. "Okay, uh.. Is it possible that Burt Holland own a house here, for summer vacations of whatever?"

_"No. I checked his properties and there isn't a single thing that links him to Hawaii, but he lost his wallet while he was in Nevada."_

"Let me guess.. Las Vegas." According to the file Trish sent her, the Yakuza had business in Las Vegas.

_"Jackpot! According to the police report, Holland lost his wallet, along with all his documents, drivers license, ID, credit cards. Everything."_

"Did you find anything on the credit cards?" Catherine was sitting on the couch with the list and her laptop on.

_"No. They weren't used ever since."_

"Yeah.. Didn't think so.." If the Yakuza was involved then they wouldn't be so stupid. "And what about Henry Jackson? When did he die?"

_"I love it how your mind works fast, Kate. Henry Jackson was found dead a weak ago in his house. In Hawaii."_

Catherine almost jumped, so happy she was. Not that the guy was dead, but because she had something to work with.

.

Steve heard it when a phone rang but it was too far so he didn't paid much attention; but, when he heard footsteps on the stairway, he took his SIG-Sauer that he kept by his bed immediately.

When Steve reached the bottom of the stair, he noticed someone was on his couch; walking as stealthy as possible, he approached whoever it was. His gun was ready to fire if necessary when he noticed who that was.

Taking a deep breath, he lowered his weapon and walked to the couch, sitting directly in front of her. He had no idea who would call at five am on a Sunday, but it had to be important.

Catherine's eyes left the screen of her laptop for a split second to look at the man in front of her. "Alright, Trish, wait just a second.."

Catherine put her phone down for a moment and turned her undivided attention to Steve.

"Yesterday, after you gave me this list," she showed him the paper with names that Kono came up with. "I called Trish and asked her to check the names for me, but she didn't get any results. But that was yesterday.." Putting her phone on the speaker. "Trish, I need you to repeat what you just said to me. Right from the beginning."

Steve frowned, not understanding what on Earth was going on.

_"Okay.. So, according to the research I made, three names popped out. Burt Holland, Henry Jackson and Joshua Parker."_

"Uhum.. Talk about Henry Jackson," said Catherine to Trish. She had this devilish smile on her face while looking at Steve - he was completely clueless about what was happening.

_"Why am I doing this?"_ questioned Trish.

"Just do it, redhead," said Catherine simply. "Please."

_"Fine.. Henry Jackson. Mid thirties was found dead in his house four days ago. The autopsy report said he died due to natural causes. Heart attack."_

Steve moved on his place. "Mid thirties and heart attack? That doesn't sound too natural."

Catherine smile grew bigger.

_"Woah.. Who's this?"_ asked Trish with an evident tone of surprise.

"This is Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-0 task force," he introduced himself.

_"Oh, hi,"_ said Trish still processing that information. Catherine knew she was already doing research on him. _"And you're right, Commander. Henry Jackson was a former quarterback. He lived in Boston until he injured his knee badly enough to interrupt his career. After that, he moved to Hawaii about two years ago to teach football to children."_

"Who was the doctor responsible for his death report?" asked Steve and Trish had the answer right away.

_"Doctor Jason Weir."_

"Right.. I'll have Max working on that," he said looking at Catherine. Judging by her expression, he assumed she had already thought about that. "What about the other names?"

_"Burt Holland don't live in Hawaii or have any properties in the island, but he filled a police report in Las Vegas after losing his wallet. And Joshua Parker, according to what I found, he didn't exist until 2003."_

Steve furrowed his brow. "It looks like someone's using Burt's documents to cover their tracks.. But about the other name, Joshua Parker.. Witness protection?"

_"Wow. It's like I'm having the same conversation I had with Kate, except for the male voice.. About Holland, that was our first thought as well, now, about Parker, I'm not sure about it yet but I'm working on it."_

"Okay. Thanks Trish," said Catherine, getting her phone back. "Talk to you later."

_"Wait, wait!"_ Catherine was about to end the call but she stopped her hand before hitting the red button. _"Get me out of the speaker."_

Catherine rolled her eyes, foreseeing what was to come. "What?" she said, faking an annoyed tone.

_"He is __**so**__**hot**__!"_

Trish was getting hyper on the other side. Biting her lip, Catherine pinched the bridge of her nose and did not look at Steve. She could feel his eyes locked on her.

"Yes. I'm aware of that, Trish. Thanks for stating the obvious."

_"Did I interrupt something? I mean, it's like dawn over there and apparently you two are together.."_

"NO!" She practically yelled and Steve frowned. Glancing at him quickly, she was so glad he wasn't listening to that - not everything at least. "No. Nothing happened.."

_"Really? Why? I mean, he's totally your type."_

"Work, Trish. Work." Catherine rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. "Now I really need to call someone else."

_"Alright.. But work is a lame excuse, you know that?"_

"It is not. Now focus, woman. And thanks for calling."

_"You're welcome, love. And have some fun over there!"_

"Bye," she said finally hanging up.

"Is everything alright?" asked Steve once she tossed her phone away.

"Yes," said Catherine, trying to sound as casual as possible. "That was just.. small talk," she said with a shrug.

Steve didn't actually buy that but he let that pass – people are allowed to have some privacy and obviously Catherine wanted to keep that private. Just like her phone, her laptop was also put aside. "I need some water," she said while getting up and walking to Steve's kitchen. Pouring herself a glass of cold water, she leaned against the sink tiredly. She barely slept through the night, still thinking of everything that happened during that day – the visit to the USS Missouri and the Arizona, the memories of her past, everything she told Steven, his arms around her making her feel secure.. when they bumped into each other and he held her firmly. Drinking the whole content of the glass, she closed her eyes and sighed. For the first time in a very long while, she had her doubts whether she'd be able to put her feelings aside in order to do her job. Of course her job was mostly an excuse; the truth was, she didn't think she was ready to open up to someone else.

"I presume we're working today."

Catherine's eyes snapped open when she heard Steve's voice. She heard when he got into the room but she chose to ignore it. He affected her so much by just staying around and she needed to get that under control, for their own good and safety.

"I was thinking about taking Henry Jackson's body to Doctor Bergman and after that we'll see what we can do."

"What about the phone call you needed to do?" asked Steve curiously, walking to the fridge to get himself some water.

"Oh that. I don't have to make any phone calls actually," she admitted shyly, putting the empty glass in the sink "I just wanted to make her focus on her work."

"She's working on Sunday?"

"Probably she's helping some team," she explained.

Steve nodded while looking outside. It stopped raining sometime around two or three in the morning, and the only evidence of it was the wet sand and a cool breeze. He and Catherine walked to the lanai and they sat on a bench. They remained silent, just hearing the sound of the waves, but Catherine had Trish's words were echoing inside her head '_have some fun over there!_'. She couldn't deny that she didn't have fun in a very long time, and yesterday was the closest she got to that. With Steve. Catherine inhaled deeply, almost every single thought she had eventually ended up on the same place – better yet, the same person: Steven J. McGarrett, the man who was sitting by her side.

. . .

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><p><em>Once again, thank you and feedback is greatly appreciated :)<em>


	10. Chapter 10

**Aloha sailors! Mahalo to everyone who's reading this story! **It took me a while to update this fic because I had to do some research on a few things.. But it's finally here! I'm not sure about this chapter and I'd love to know what you all think; I hope you enjoy it!****

****And Nicole, thank you for everything!****

**A/N:**_ Once again, I'd like to apologize in advance in case there are any super weird/bizzare things such as locations and/or anything else. I've never been to Hawaii, so I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA how the places are in reality. So, please, let me know if you find something that's very very wrong or awkward._

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><p>Steve sat there quietly, like he did many times. He often went to the lanai just to spend some time by himself. But today was different - someone else was there. Looking at his left, he saw Catherine standing there, as silent as himself.<p>

He smiled inwardly. Steve didn't mind Catherine's presence there; it's not like they were trying to engage into any forced and awkward conversation. Actually, nothing between the two of them seemed to be forced; on the other hand, it was incredibly natural.

They stood there for quite a long while and both lost track of time. The waves crashing on the shoreline and the lack of sleep brought Catherine to close her eyes for a second. She didn't know exactly when it happened but she fell asleep on that bench.

Steve addressed a glance at the quiet figure by his side to find her sleeping, peacefully and beautifully. The idea of waking her up didn't even cross his mind and, looking at her one last time, he headed back inside.

Shortly after that, Catherine woke up; rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands and yawning, she quickly realized she had slept. The first thing she noticed was Steve's absence. That followed by some smothered noise coming from the inside made Catherine jump out of the bench and run back inside.

Her heart was pounding on her chest when she noticed that the sound she heard was just Steve making some coffee.

Catherine froze where she was; closing her eyes she thanked whoever would listen for not allowing her to commit another mistake.

"Morning," said Steve when he noticed Catherine by the door.

"Morning," replied Catherine after regaining her ability to walk and talk. "What time is it?"

"Seven thirty."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Oh, you were sleeping so nicely and I decided to let you rest," he explained while filling two mugs with the coffee he had just made. "You probably are still not used to the time difference so.."

"Thanks but, you really should've woke me up," she said walking towards Steve's living room. Catherine peeked through the curtains to see if something was off outside his place but it was all good.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," yelled Steve from the kitchen and she smiled. He had already done that; clearly both of them were acting more carefully when it comes to safety measures.

"Just checking it myself," she said going back to where her host was.

"Here." Steve handed her one of the two mugs in his hands.

"Thank you," she offered him a smile in return. Catherine let out a low moan when she took a sip of it and Steve cocked an eyebrow - so many thoughts crossed his mind when he heard that. "Oh.. This is **so** good."

Steve smiled and nodded when Catherine's eyes met his.

"Oh, do you know what's Doctor Bergman's number?" asked Catherine while holding the mug with both hands.

"Yes. I'll call him in a moment to talk to him about our suspect."

Catherine nodded. "Alright."

**xxx**

It wasn't even 9 AM when Catherine and Steve left the house, heading to the coroner's office to meet with Doctor Bergman. Steve made a phone call to get Henry Jackson's body sent to Max by that morning and less than thirty minutes later, it was already there.

"Okay, how did you do that, again?" asked Catherine when Steve parked his blue truck right in front of the Medical Examiner building. "I must admit, I didn't expect that transferring Henry's body would be that easy.. And that fast."

"You're not the only one who knows people." Steve winked at her and she felt her heart melt.

"Fair enough," she replied avoiding his gaze. He had put this small yet insistent smile on her face that didn't seem to go away and she didn't want him to know how much effect he had on her. What she didn't know is that Steve could tell she was smiling only by her voice - and that made him smile.

"So, no heels today?"

"It is Sunday," she said like it was way too obvious and he wasn't seeing that.

For the first time since she arrived in Hawaii, Catherine had turned down her social wardrobe and was wearing a pair of jeans, white T-Shirt and sneakers. She didn't look like the standard FBI Agent Steve had seen these past days.

"Alright then," he said, leaving it to that.

Steve and Catherine were already inside the building, walking to Doctor Bergman's office. She was walking by his side, paying attention to where he was heading when she heard something she was not expecting - someone was playing a piano.

"What is that?" asked Catherine rather confused. "I thought this was where Doctor Bergman worked.. Not an.. extension of Julliard."

"Well, that's funny," said Steve highly amused when they stopped in front of a door. "This is where Max works," he said and then he opened the door and Catherine had a perfect view Doctor Bergman himself sitting in front of a piano. Apparently, he wasn't just a doctor - he was also a good pianist.

"Really?" Catherine furrowed her brows to Steve's merriment.

"Hey, Max." Steve called for the doctor but the Asian man didn't seem to acknowledge their presence there. "MAX!"

Doctor Max Bergman's finger stopped immediately when he heard Steve's quite loud voice calling his name.

"Hi. I was practicing," he said as he stood up and walked to another room. Steve touched Catherine's arm lightly and she understood that as a sign to follow the man. "I read the autopsy report, and it's intriguing."

"How intriguing?" asked Steve.

The three of them were standing by a blonde man, not much older than Steve, and his physic wasn't too different either; even though he was a former athlete, he managed to remain fit.

"The victim didn't have any family or medical history of coronary disease or anything that could imply in a heart attack, so I ran toxicological exams but I'm still waiting for the results," said Max; he had this apologetic expression on his face. "I wasn't expecting to see you two this early."

Steve shook his head, a sign he understood what he had said and it was all good, while Catherine walked around the stainless steel autopsy table.

"Do you mind?" She was pointing to the lifeless body, asking for Max's permission to have a better look at it.

Max and Steve exchanged a curious look but the medical examiner agreed. "Of course not," he said, giving her the permission she needed. Flashing him a smile, Catherine took a pair of latex gloves from its box.

"I'll see if the results on the toxicological exams are ready," said Max while Catherine studied the body. He didn't even wait for any consent coming from Steve or Catherine and left them alone.

.

She had been scanning Henry's body with her eagle eyes when a little something caught her attention. Steve was directly in front of Catherine and noticed when her face went from a curious squint to an intrigued frown.

"Find anything?"

Catherine raised her eyes for the first time to meet Steve's - she was so caught up analyzing the remains that she almost forgot he was there. _Almost._ Apparently, she couldn't just turn his presence off.

"Come here," she said taking one step to her side.

Walking around the table, Steve stopped by her side, on the exact same spot she was standing moments ago. Their eyes met once again and she looked down at the body one more time.

"Check it out." Steve followed Catherine's finger to the victim's groins. He squinted and leaned closer. "See?"

"I do," he whispered. It was quite small but it was there - a tiny hole. "Looks like.. a needle mark."

Catherine looked at Steve and knew they were thinking the same thing - lethal injection. But how on Earth the killer managed to inject it on his groins?

"I got the results," said Max as he returned with some papers on his hands. Steve and Catherine turned their attention to the Asian man wearing the white lab coat.

"And?" Steve's tone was demanding.

"His blood test came out clean," said Max flatly.

"But some chemical compounds can only be tracked with a specific test, right?" Catherine wasn't gonna give up easily.

"That is correct," agreed the Doctor with a short nod.

Steve understood what she was thinking without any further explanation. "But there are a lot of possibilities, and I'm afraid we don't have enough resources to run them all," he said directly at her. "Or time."

Catherine sighed heavily. Her brain was working fast but it didn't seem to be enough.

"Damn!" She hissed. Steve heard that, and he noticed she was trying to figure out something, just like him.

"I also ran tests for any chemical compound on the skin of the victim," continued Max, like there were no interruptions. "There were traces of trichloromethane around his nose and mouth."

"Chloroform." Steve and Catherine spoke in unison.

"Whoever killed Henry had him unconscious," said Catherine sort of thinking out loud.

"That's how they injected the poison through his groin. He never saw that coming." Steve finished her thought.

Max was looking at each other and didn't seem to follow their line of thinking.

"Injection?" he asked curiously.

Catherine had Henry covered once Max returned so she took that piece of fabric that was over part of the body and showed him what she had seen earlier.

"Steve and I believe this," she pointed again to the little dark dot with some dry blood around it. "Could have been caused by an injection. A needle hole."

Max took a pair of gloves from the same box Catherine used not too long ago and the magnifying-glasses he had to take a better look at what Catherine showed him.

"You're right," he said impressed. "This could be caused by a needle and it's a hidden place.. How did you find it?"

"I've seen many corpses," she said with a shrug. "And I have a brother who is a doctor and he sometimes helps me to understand a bit more about the victim so let's say I learned how to look a little harder."

"I'm impressed," admitted Max. Catherine gave him a small smile.

"Wait," said Steve thoughtfully. She turned her attention to him and learned he was seeing something she was missing. "I think the killer didn't chose this place to inject randomly.. Or because it's hidden.."

"Iliac artery," she said and Steve smiled his half smile after agreeing with her. "Exactly."

"That makes sense, except for the lack of traceable substances in his body." Catherine's enthusiasm dropped significantly and Steve's smile grew wider.

"I think I know what killed our guy.."

Both Catherine and Max were staring at him, waiting for his insight.

"So? Will you tell us or I'll have to torture you?" Catherine hated waiting and that stupid yet gorgeous smile on Steve's face was getting on her.

"I'd like to see you try that," he replied, his expression showed a mix of curiosity and amusement. "Nonetheless, my best guess is: Potassium Chloride."

"That is.." muttered Catherine and Max finished. "Quite brilliant. The Potassium Chloride, when injected into someone indices heart attack. After killing the victim, the Potassium would be released on the blood and, because it's something the body produces naturally, it wouldn't show up in any test."

Catherine was aware of how the KCl worked but she didn't interrupt Dr Bergman's explanation - she was too busy with her own thoughts. So many questions popping in her head that she didn't even have time to follow.

"Alright," she said finally, reaching out to shake Max's hand. "Thanks for your time, Doctor Bergman. I really appreciate that." Then, touching Steve's upper arm she added "I'll be right outside."

She walked out of the room, leaving the two men alone. Steve thanked the short man just like Catherine did.

"No problem. I'll call you if I find anything else," said the Doctor shortly before Steve leave.

"Alright. Thanks again," said Steve. "Oh, and take your time, bro. We're not exactly active at the moment."

And with that, he left the Asian man alone with the dead body.

.

"Hey, something's wrong?"

By the time Steve left, Catherine was leaning on his car, apparently doing nothing.

"No," she answered calmly, opening her watery grey eyes to look at the man standing right in front of her. "No, everything's fine. Why do you ask?"

"Maybe because you just **left**." Catherine noticed the emphasis he used when he said the word '_left_'. Truth is, she was so full of doubts and the questions in her head were multiplying quickly that she just wanted to do one thing - get away for a while. Maybe Steve's brilliant idea was indeed brilliant; take a small step back in order to organize the thoughts and clear the mind would be very good for the investigation.

"I know.. I just.. I guess you were right," she said softly, letting her shoulders drop. "I think a break would be really good.. My head was about to explode while we were inside."

"At least we were with a medical examiner," said Steve amused. "Then I'd know what caused that."

Catherine chuckled. "I was thinking about the case," she said; her mood went from amused to serious very quickly and Steve just looked at her while she talked. "And about his death. I mean, why him? Was it a random kill? I know we can't tell for sure it was Yakuza work, but if it was, do you think the Japanese mafia works like that? But then again, it would be quite easy to kill him just because of his ID, I mean, he wasn't married or have any family living here.. But what if he's involved with something that didn't come up when Trish ran his background? What if we're missing something?" Catherine stopped for the first time to breathe. Steve heard her brainstorm quietly; he wasn't exactly surprised to hear all that and it was only natural she had thought of it all - he had wondered all that as well.

Catherine rubbed her face and sighed, she was mentally tired. "But, like I said, I think you're right.. Maybe we should have a break and get back to it tomorrow.."

She knew for experience that having any of her senses compromised could mean big trouble - people get hurt when one can't think straight. Sometimes, as much as she hated to admit that, putting the work on hold was the best thing to do.

"Good to know you finally agree with me, Agent," said Steve, leaning on his truck as well, by her side; the smell of her shampoo hit him immediately.

"I know how to recognize when someone is right, Commander," she replied politely. The way they were treating each other, using their ranks instead of names didn't add any tension to their conversation. On the other hand. It was like they were sort of feeling each other out, except they weren't dating or romantically involved. "So, now that we reached a settlement, what are your plans for the day-off?" Catherine asked in the most casual and natural way possible even though she was getting a little nervous with the idea of having a day-off.

"How do you feel about going for a little road trip?" Steve asked with another question and she was not waiting for that.

"Why?"

"Just answer the question."

"I- uh.. I think I'm.. not sure about it," she said stuttering a little.

"C'mon," said Steve enthusiastically while leaving her side and opening the passenger door. "It'll be good." He saw something in her eyes but he couldn't tell what that was because it vanished as fast as it appeared, but she hesitated and that was pretty visible. "So, Arizona?"

Catherine's brain was working full mode again; spending the whole day with Steve seemed pretty damn great but it could also be pretty damn not great. There was too much at stake and she felt like her chance to unwind was going down the hill. Tagging along with Steve would mean they'd be together the entire time, which was good except for the fact she was so drawn to him and was struggling to not do anything she might regret later or maybe compromise her work. Work. That was the main reason she left DC - at least that was what she was telling herself and everyone else. And work was also the reason she couldn't not go with Steve. She had screwed up once already by not paying attention to the surroundings of his place. If something happened and she wasn't around, she had no idea what she'd do.

She was in the middle of a dilemma when she heard Steve calling her '_Arizona_'. That made her snap out of her trance and return to Earth immediately.

"Yeah," she said while getting inside his truck. "Think I'll give a chance to whatever it is that you have in mind.."

With a half smile on his face, he closed the door and ran to the other side. "You won't regret it," he said starting the engine and pulling out of the place he had parked.

_'I sure hope not,'_ Catherine thought to herself.

.

"Take some clothes," said Steve. He had headed back to his place and was on his way to the kitchen. "And towels," he yelled to Catherine who was on her way to the bedroom. She was squinting but he didn't give her any further information except for where she'd find the clean towels.

She tried to ask where they were going but he didn't answer; instead, he just gave her that half smile of his and that was it. It would was quite unnerving and pretty annoying but the part of her that find that charming and gorgeous was speaking louder so she didn't get mad at him, not for too long at least.

Taking the small bag she often used as her go-bag back in DC which she brought inside her rather big trunk, Catherine put some clothes inside, towels and, of course, her S&M and SIG-Sauer; better safe than sorry, that's what she always thought.

Even though she was used to packing for small trips and things like that, she had trouble with what to bring - she was a woman, after all! And it's mean to tell a woman to pack and not give her any hints on where they're heading to.

"I just thought I should let you know, Steven J. McGarrett, that I hate you," said Catherine when she met him downstairs. Of course she didn't mean that and she kept her eyes soft to let him know; unnecessary because he knew she wasn't serious. He eyed her for a second just to let her know he heard her and didn't take any of her words with him.

Catherine shook her head; she went there to work but that didn't look like work at all. Her eyes traveled to Steve - he was busy loading his trunk with things as food, water and some other stuff she didn't recognize at first.

"So," he said after putting everything in his vehicle. "Ready?"

She let her head fall weakly - it was pretty evident he wouldn't say where they were heading to, but what other choice she had? She would not leave him alone.. Or she didn't want to? Then, her mind wandered back to the dead guy on that autopsy table, Henry Jackson. He wasn't much older than she was. He should have been what? 35? 36? The thing is, he was a young man who died because of whatever she was investigating.. And what Steve had said? People died for little things when involved with the Yakuza? With a deep breath and shaking that thought away, she nodded; the Arizona within her was ready to face anything. Or maybe almost anything.

"In for a penny, in for a pound, right?" she said as she tossed the bag on the back seat to Steve's pleasure. "Let's go then."

**xxx**

"Wow.."

Catherine's surprised expression was more than enough and Steve knew he had got it right. He took them to one of the most beautiful places in his opinion - Waimānalo; more specifically, the Kaiona Beach Park.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked standing by her side. Not much people went there on weekdays, but it was Sunday so they were not alone.

"Wonderful," she said in awe. The sand of that beach was incredibly white, it had countless palms and a boundless turquoise sea. Catherine had to blink twice to make sure it was real and not just her imagination - that was by far the most beautiful place on Earth.

Steve couldn't help but smile when he saw the amazement written in her eyes. "Come on," he said taking her hand in his. "We're not there yet."

Catherine was still impressed with the place that it took her a while to understand what he had said. She was walking right behind him when she realized it.

"Wait, why can't we stay here?" she asked weakly. She wanted to stay there, it was the perfect place to unwind - she had already forgotten about their case and everything else.

"Trust me," said Steve looking back at her shortly. "There's a better place right over there.."

Catherine looked at the place Steve just pointed but she didn't see anything.

"You sure?" Her tone was suspicious, but Steve didn't reply to that. He kept going, one hand holding Catherine's and the other, a coolbox. He also had a backpack on his back; he told Catherine to get her bag and she was carrying just that.

They walked approximately 75 yards down the beach when Steve finally stopped.

"Okay, we're here."

Catherine's eyes widened one more time and her jaw dropped open. She knew that place even though she had never been there before.

"This is.. I know this place.." she muttered when her voice returned.

The astonished look in her face made Steve feel very proud. Part of him was trying to impress Catherine, and he totally accomplished that.

"This is where they filmed Magnum!" she exclaimed. Catherine felt like a child who had received an early Christmas present. The huge smile on her face could be seen and felt in her eyes, voice and was coming from every pore of her body.

"Did you see that?" he asked with an eyebrow cocked. Now he was surprised too.

"Of course I did! Tom Selleck was so awesome! He still is actually.."

Only then she let go of Steve's hand and took a few steps forward. She had just found the perfect definition of Heaven. Opening her arms and closing her eyes, Catherine felt the wind blowing all over her body and she laughed; remembering the day before when she had ran on the rain and she felt so light and free.. That feeling was back. And it was incredibly good.

Steve locked his eyes on the woman in front of her. The wind was playing with her hair and the sun on her snowy white skin was making her look even more beautiful; an ethereal beauty, almost angelical.

Catherine turned to face Steve and she liked what she was seeing. Loved, if she was honest enough. He was sitting on the sand, with his eyes almost closed and the half smile on his face; his tanned skin next to the white sand created a breathtaking view. She only noticed she was holding her breath when her head started to get giddy. Catherine found herself biting her lower lip while trying to suppress a smile.

_'My God, I'm screwed,'_ she thought to herself. At that precise moment, she finally admitted she had fallen for Steven. She sort of knew that for a while, but she thought, if she didn't admit that, it would eventually change or maybe go away.. Now, she knew she had changed, but it wasn't leaving.

But admitting that feeling also made her start to panic slowly and quietly. She wasn't sure she was ready to open up again, and specially to someone like Steve McGarrett. He wasn't the kind of guy who would settle down - and, truth be told, she wasn't like that either. She had been engaged but the life as a housewife was not like her. Not at all. Not even when she was a child, Catherine had the dream of marrying in a church, with a white gown that would make her look like the wedding cake or live in a two store house with a white fence around it.

She may have thought about it every once in a while but that wasn't her big dream, and, in all honesty, Catherine never thought that she and love would mix.. and she was perfectly fine with that. Until now. Looking at the man in front of her, she thought she wouldn't mind waking up everyday to that view..

With some difficulty, Catherine forced herself to look elsewhere but at Steve - she was starting to over think and it was never good. When she did that, she noticed they had left a not exactly crowded place to a desert one. There were no other people there but she and McGarrett. That would make things so much harder that it already was.

"Just peachy," she talked to herself. But just because she accepted the fact that she was heels over head, that didn't mean she'd give in to that. No. Catherine has had a thing for some men she worked with but nothing ever happened and she was very proud of her willpower and almighty ability to separate work from personal matters. She just needed to keep that in mind and not mix those two things now. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she walked back to where Steve was sitting.

.

Steve had his eyes locked on the woman in front of him. She was far more interesting and beautiful than any other women he ever met, and when she turned, giving her the view of her smiley face, he knew he would do anything to have her, even if that was something completely different than anything he ever knew about himself. Steve was an ex-SEAL, and, being in the military, he never thought about having someone else by his side all the time - spouses get hurt, and they make every decision a thousand time harder. But that woman was different; different than the other Catherine.

His mind flew to Lt. Rollins for a short while. He hadn't seen her in a very long time and wondered if she had found someone else. Surprisingly enough, that thought didn't make him feel that odd sensation in his guts as he used to feel back then. No. It didn't bother him at all, and then, his mind went back to where he was now.

Catherine Taylor was a few yards away and she had been looking at him for a minute, maybe more, but she was too far and he couldn't read her.

He was considering going there but when the thought crossed his mind, she was already on her way towards him, and he forgot anything else he was thinking. No Catherine Rollins, no ex-fiancés.. When that Catherine told him she was engaged once, he didn't know exactly what to think, and when she said she had broken up and the guy cheated on her, he didn't even try to hide his surprise. How exactly someone would do that to her? But Steve didn't need to know the answer.. Against all odds, he found out she wasn't married nor engaged; there was that Colin guy, but he wasn't focusing on that. Instead, he thought he could have a shot with Catherine. And when she sat by his side, he silently thanked God and whoever was the responsible for putting her on Danny's way and for making Danny bring her to the Five-0 headquarters over eleven months ago.

. . .

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><p><em>So, what are your thoughts on this story so far? I'd like to know what you have to tell about it.. Feedback is greatly appreciated! Mahalo everyone!<em>


	11. Chapter 11

**Aloha people! Well, there are a few things I'd like to state here before we get down to business.**

**First: I'd like to thank everyone who's reading this story. Even if you don't review it, I appreciate your attention towards this story greatly.**

**Second: This chapter is sort of different than the others.. you'll notice as you read it but I just thought I should give you a heads up. I'm also very unsure of it.. In my opinion, this is not my best work but then again, I couldn't think of a way to make it better. So for that I'm sorry.**

**That said, I'd like to apologize if this chapter seems a lot disjointed and weird. And I'd like to, one more time, thank everyone who's reading it! I hope you won't get too disappointed on me..**

* * *

><p>It was windy and incredibly quiet when Catherine sat by Steve's side; she could hear the waves crashing on the shore line, the wind whistling in her ears, even her heartbeats and the sound of her breathings - both unsteady - but the silence was louder than anything else. Catherine had no idea what to say and neither did Steve, so they didn't say a word and just sat there, eyes fixed on the never ending sea in front of them.<p>

"So.. How did you know about this place?" asked Catherine rambling. _An incredibly stupid question_, she thought to herself after she had already voiced it. For the first time, she was feeling a somewhat nervous around Steve.

"I used to come here," he said simply. She turned to face him but he still had his eyes on the ocean - it didn't keep her from watching him. "With my father.."

"It's beautiful," she whispered. Catherine referred to the private piece of Heaven Steve took her to, and also to Steve himself, but he couldn't possibly know about the second part - and she wasn't the one to tell him that.

"It is." Turning to look at Catherine, Steve gave her his signature half smile. She smiled in return but also shifted her eyes to the sand. _So close and still.. so far_, she thought while examining the white sand.

Catherine's hair were covering her face and the wind was tossing and making it tease her skin so, with a shy movement of her head, she managed to take them off her face and, avoiding Steve's piercing eyes on her profile, she turn her gaze back to the ocean.

Steve studied Catherine for a while; he didn't know what happened but something was different. She seemed more reserved and closed than she was about an hour ago. He frowned inwardly when he learned that change in her behavior but didn't let it show - it could be her mind drifting back to work.

"C'mon," he said standing up and taking his shirt off with one smooth movement. Catherine's eyes flew to his figure and she tried her best to not stare. Steve McGarrett was in front of her wearing nothing but some long blue shorts, and his right hand was flat open as if he was waiting for something.

"What?" Her eyes were almost closed; she had to look up and the sun was almost making her blind.

"C'mon! Get up! I didn't come here so we could sit on the sand the whole day.."

Suddenly she understood what he was saying, and she felt stupid for taking so long. "No! I'm wearing cargo pants! That is not swimming suit!"

"I told you to get some clothes," he said frowning. "What did you get?"

"Clothes! Not swim suits.."

Steve's frown grew bigger. "Seriously?"

Catherine opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, not really believing they were having that conversation. "Excuse me but you said **clothes**. And you didn't tell me we were coming to the beach!"

"You're in Hawaii! And I told you to get towels as well!" Steve's mouth twisted into a weird smile. He was both amused and astonished - that DC woman was definitely something, and she made him smile so often and with so little, it was impressive and good for a change.

"Yeah, you did," she admitted poorly. Truth was, she didn't bring any bikinis with her to Hawaii; while she was packing, bikinis didn't even cross her mind. She was so focused on the fact that Steve McGarrett and Kono Kalakaua were in jail that she didn't even remember about the fabulous beaches of Oahu. "Hold on.."

The water was so inviting that Catherine found herself fishing for a short inside the bag she brought - Steve didn't miss the silvery shine of her revolver.

"So, let me get this straight," he said suddenly - talking not only with his mouth but also with his hands. Judging by his voice, his face and the smile reflected in his eyes, Catherine would say he was highly amused. "You brought your gun.. but not a bikini. That's cool.. You might need it with these lots of criminals around." Catherine furrowed her brows while looking at Steve. He was having so much fun with her it was quite hilarious, even for her.

"Shut up," she said tossing a towel on him. Then she took a short out of the bag along with a second towel.

They were in the middle of nothing and, even though there were lots of palms, she couldn't find a decent place to change - she'd have to improvise. Putting the towel around her wait, Catherine turned her back to Steve and worked on her cargo pants. The towel was working as a shield while she took her pants off and wore the shorts.

Less than a minute later, Catherine let the towel drop with her belongings and her long legs were exposed; she was now wearing black shorts along with her navy tank top. Steve wasn't able to hide his surprise with the view and, of course, Catherine didn't miss that.

"So, will you just stand there as a palm?" With a perky smile on her face and one quickly glance at Steve, she ran towards the blue water that was almost calling her name.

Shaking his head and with a grin on his lips, Steve followed her right away.

.

"I didn't know you could do free-dive."

Steve and Catherine spend quite a long time swimming, snorkeling and, eventually, free-diving. Where they were, the water was calm enough to allow them to do that.

"There are so many things you don't know about me, Steven," said Catherine with a childish smile on her face; she was quietly lying on the towel. They had had some natural sandwiches that Steve made before they headed to Kaiona as lunch along with some beers.

"Oh really? Then why don't you tell me," replied Steve. He propped himself up, his elbows supporting his torso while his eyes were locked on Catherine's body - that woman was a pleasure for his eyes.

"If I told you," she said turning to face Steve; the smile on her face didn't fade, but she added something else, something that Steve understood as a hint of seduction. "Then I'd have to kill you."

"I think I'll take my chances," he said leaning a little closer.

Catherine could see every detail of his eyes and his lips and the mix of his scent with the ocean was the best thing she ever experienced in her entire life. Her breathing pattern changed drastically and so did her heart rate. Without thinking, she ran her tongue through her lips and found herself biting the inner part of it.

Steve noticed her reaction and got all tingly on the inside - Catherine liked him, and he had all the physical evidence he needed right there. He could see her heart beating furiously through her tight top while her abdomen showed him how she was struggling to breathe, that plus the way she licked and was biting her lips, it was all more than enough. Steve wasn't in this alone - Catherine had feelings for him as well.. Except there was a "but": she seemed to have this incredible Jedi self-control. Catherine hated that but at the same time, it was her ability to maintain some distance that made her keep going.

"Well, maybe some other time," said Catherine, bringing herself up to a seated position. She was still paying attention to him but from a safe distance now.

"Some other time then," said Steve simply. Acknowledging the fact that Catherine wasn't immune to him was enough for now and he had some time to figure her out. It was actually pretty exciting to get to know her. "We should probably get going now," he added while getting everything they brought there. "It's getting late and I don't want us to still be here when the water starts to rise."

Catherine nodded and stood up. Taking her belongings from Steve's hands, she half smiled when he held her hand once again on their way back to where his truck was parked.

**xxx**

"Thank you," said Catherine when they got back to Steve's place.

They had left Kaiona beach, then Steve took them to this restaurant in Waikiki - Catherine had to change inside his car because by the time they got there, she was still wearing the clothes she went for a swim earlier that day. The dinner was great and for those precious moments, both were able to forget about the problems and just have some nice time. It was already past one in the morning when they returned.

"What for?" asked Steve as he killed the engine of his truck.

"Today," said Catherine softly. "It was.. Really great." Once again, she was feeling embarrassed and excited. It was like she was a teenager again.

Steve could see the change in Catherine. She seemed to be relaxed, a lot more relaxed than after they left the Medical Examiner's Office and it gave him the feeling of mission accomplished. "I'm glad you enjoyed."

"I did," she whispered. The seconds stretched into minutes as they both stood there quietly.

The tension was building by the second and something would have probably happened if it wasn't for the sound of something made of glass hitting the ground inside Steve's place.

"Great," hissed Catherine. Her hands flew to where her guns were in record time while Steve looked inside his glove compartment to grab his.

Both got out of the car as quietly as possible and made their way towards the front door to find out it was locked. Speaking with his hands, Steve pointed to the back of his house. Catherine understood what he was saying and with a nod, she followed his lead.

The back door was also locked but the lights were on. Steve considered knocking the door down but Catherine shook her head in a clear negative sign. He looked for his keys on his pocket but didn't find it - he must have left it in the car. Catherine rolled her eyes and took a lock pick from one of her pockets.

"Do I want to know why you carry one of those?" asked Steve as she worked on the door. She just smiled at him shortly when the door went open with a silent click.

Steve deliberately took the lead for Catherine's desperation. What was it with men, especially those who were related to the law enforcement and military, that they always needed to go inside first and always without a warning? Catherine cursed Steve and all his genre while taking three quick steps to reach him.

They split up: Steve took the front and Catherine stayed on the back. She had just cleared the den when she heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. Approaching it as stealthy as possible, she could recognize the slim figure of a woman close to the sink, and some pieces of what could have been a glass earlier.

"Put your hands where I can see," said Catherine in a low and very demanding voice as she got into the room. The woman stiffened when she heard that and her first instinct was to reach for a knife that was on the sink. "Na-ah.. I wouldn't do that if I was you. Now put it down and raise your hands. I won't say twice." By that time, Catherine had raised her voice deliberately adding threat to it. She had hopes that, if there was someone else inside, Steve would find it.

The unknown woman cursed quietly but did as she said and raised both hands.

"Good, now turn around. Slowly." Once again, she did what Catherine told her to do. "Who the hell are you?"

.

Steve had went through the front part and upstairs but didn't find anything. When he was almost downstairs again, he heard Catherine's voice coming from what seemed to be the kitchen.

Jumping the three steps that were left, he rushed to meet his guest and to see who she was speaking with. Steve couldn't decide whether he wanted it to be Wo Fat or not.

When he reached the kitchen, he found two women standing there; one of them was Catherine, who was holding her inseparable revolver, and the other one was

"Mary.."

Hearing Steve's voice made Catherine break the eye contact with the blonde in front of her and turn to face him.

"You know her?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah," said Steve lowering his SIG-Sauer. "This is Mary Ann McGarrett. She's my sister."

Catherine's eyes flew back to the woman in front of her. She still had her hands in the air but her expression had eased and she was looking at Steve. Catherine decided that point a gun to Steve's sister wasn't a good idea so she followed his move and lowered it. Just seconds ago, she was ready to react if the woman tried something.

"Hi," said Mary to Catherine when she didn't have a silver revolver aiming at her anymore.

"Hello," replied Catherine a little embarrassed. "And sorry about that."

"Mary, this is Catherine; Catherine, meet my sister Mary Ann."

"Oh.. Another Catherine?" Mary asked intrigued. She had met a different Catherine the last time she went visiting her brother.

Catherine cocked an eyebrow when she heard that; there was something else behind Mary's words but she didn't know what was it.. Yet. Her reaction didn't go unnoticed - Steve could almost see the FBI Agent's brain working fast. Inevitably, he wondered what was she thinking about and he didn't actually appreciate what his brain was considering.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Catherine, talking directly to Mary.

"Oh, I- uh.." the youngest McGarrett hesitated. Looking at her brother she acknowledged his serious glare as a silent comment that she had said too much.

Steve was standing next to both women and he could see she was thinking thorough and the thoughtful expression on her face didn't ease not a bit; he pinched the bridge of his nose and Mary gave him an apologetically look that he responded with a short nod.

"What are you doing here, Mary?" asked Steve trying to change the subject.

"I heard you were arrested and I thought I should be here for you."

Mary's tone of voice suggested concern and a little bit of resentment, what Catherine and Steve understood as her feelings towards the question he had asked.

"You'd be safer in Los Angeles.. I told you that the last time you came here, Mar."

"I know you did! But what did you expect? That I'd be a thousand miles away while my brother was here in trouble?" Her voice was rising and Catherine suddenly realized she was in the middle of something very familiar.

Steve was about to reply to Mary when he heard Catherine clearing her throat loudly; she did it on purpose.

"So, uh- I'll.. go.. over there.." She stuttered many times - she felt like an intruder and wanted to get the hell out of there.

Steve and Mary just watched as Catherine gracefully slid out of the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, Steve," said Mary shyly. "But I didn't like being there while you were here - in jail.. You're my brother for God's sake!"

Steve just nodded. Mary covered the distance between them and pulled him into a hug; he closed his arms around his sister's body.

"I'm glad to see you," she whispered. Her face pressed against his chest.

"I'm glad to see you too," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"So.. Who's that Catherine?" Mary had let go of Steve and was now looking at him suspiciously. He rolled his eyes.

"She's a friend," he stated poorly. "And she's the one who got me out of jail."

"Oh! Then I should thank her.." Mary peeked out of the kitchen but the brunette wasn't anywhere to be found. "Or you already did it?"

Steve just glared at Mary. "Catherine is an FBI Agent. She's here to work."

Mary cocked an eyebrow and held Steve's glance. "Alright," she said dubiously. "So, just out of curiosity, what were you working at until.. Uh- two am in the morning?"

Steve didn't answer that question, what made Mary grin inwardly.

**xxx**

After leaving the kitchen, Catherine had lowered her S&M while walking to the living-room. It was late and she was digging a shower, but her handbag was inside Steve's truck.

Not letting go of her revolver, she walked outside, her eyes focused on the blue Silverado that was barely visible in the middle of the night. Catherine checked her watch to realize it was almost two in the morning.

When she stopped by the passenger's door, it took her a few seconds to open it. Scanning the surroundings, Catherine wanted to be sure that the place was secure and her body relaxed when she didn't find anything out of the ordinary.

Catherine took her belongings and Steve's as well; with the coolbox, his backpack and her bags, she walked back to the house, where she put it all next to the couch and went upstairs for the much needed shower.

.

With the warm water falling on her head and soothing her body on the way down, Catherine was almost immersed in quietness. Almost. Her brain was still working, keeping her from relaxing completely.

Meeting Mary was stressing; not because she was Steve's sister, but because none of them were expecting to have a visit. Her instincts kicked in when she heard the sound of shattering glass from the outside and it put her on high alert mode, her whole body tensed. In less than fifty hours, Catherine was forced to face the possibility of having someone in Steve's house and it was unnerving.

Taking a few deep breaths while putting both hands on the wall in front of her, she let her head fall, allowing the water to hit the back of her neck. It was late to wash her hair but she thought maybe it would help her clear her mind.

It didn't work as she expected, but it calmed her down a little. Now, her brain was working through Mary's "_another Catherine_" comment.

Even though she wasn't the kind of woman to jump on conclusions, she couldn't avoid the only thought that made sense: Steve had something with a woman named Catherine. What that something was, she didn't dare wondering, but it was enough to cause Mary to make that suggestive comment.

Cursing no one in particular in her head, Catherine changed into a black short with a grey T-shirt and made her way back into the bedroom. She just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep, but a thought crossed her mind: she had been using Steve's room and no that his sister was there, she thought it was only fair enough if she moved to the couch.

Back downstairs, Catherine considered going to get some water but didn't want to get in the middle of a family conversation so she took a seat on the couch. Suddenly, she became aware of her tiredness and went from sitting to lie down - soon enough, she was sleeping like a baby.

**xxx**

"So, let me get this straight," said Mary leaning on the sink. "Catherine Taylor, FBI Agent, flew all the way from DC to Hawaii just minutes ago she learned you were arrested to get your ass out of jail, you two are working together, she's staying in your house, you took her to the beach.. and nothing happened?"

Steve had his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Well, she came because **Danny** requested her help, she took me **and Kono** out of jail and she's staying here because she didn't book a hotel, that's why **we** went to the beach."

Mary grinned hearing Steve's explanation - she knew he was not the kind of guy who would explain what he did or why he did, it was just not like him, and if he did it, then something was off.

"Right," she said simply while giving him the _'you-just-got-busted'_ look. "She seems nice," said Mary with a smile before walking out of the kitchen.

Steve rubbed his face before following Mary's steps and leaving the room. He almost bumped on his little sister who was standing like a statuesque, looking at something by the front window. He was about to say something when he noticed what was it: Catherine was quietly asleep on the couch.

.

"The guest room is yours, Mary," said Steve going through the place, looking for the few things he had taken from his own room. Mary was standing by the door just watching as her brother took a spare gun and some clothes.

"Or you could just give me a ride to my place," she said when Steve walked past her.

"Not now, Mary."

She nodded and placed her luggage by the door. "What about Catherine? Will you let her on the couch?"

"No. I'll tell her to take my room." Steve noticed some sparks on his sister's eyes and added quickly: "I'll take the couch."

"Sure you will.."

"Good night, Mary." Steve closed the guest room's door with Mary inside. As a younger sister, Mary knew exactly what to say to annoy and provoke Steve, but now it really bothered him because she wasn't all wrong.

Steve showered quickly then he went back downstairs to find out that Catherine hadn't moved a muscle.

"Catherine," he called keeping his voice low. "Hey, Kate."

Steve touched her upper arm, close to her shoulders in an attempt of waking her up; he could never foresee what would happen.

Catherine woke up startled and used her left arm - the same one that Steve just touched - to immobilize what she felt as a threat.

"Woah, easy," said Steve. Catherine had his arm in a position that if she put the correct amount of pressure on his elbow, it'd break. His first thought was that she was trained to fight without weapons if necessary and wasn't exactly willing to bet if she knew how to do it. "Easy, it's me.."

Catherine released Steve's arm and changed into a seated position. "I'm sorry," she said softly while running her hands through her hair, her voice still sleepy. "I wasn't expecting.. well, you."

"I don't want to know what you were expecting," replied Steve rubbing his arm. Catherine had a firm grip.

"I wasn't expecting anything to be honest, so, for that I'm sorry."

"Yeah, don't worry. Now go to bed.. You're tired."

"No, I'm fine.. You can have your room," said Catherine bringing herself to look up at Steve who was standing in front of her.

His face was expressionless and for a split second Catherine felt powerless. Steve was almost like a master on the art of how to intimidate people and it would've worked with the woman on the couch if she wasn't as good as he was.

"Don't even bother," said Catherine holding the eye contact. They both have this crazy strong personality and none seemed to want to back down.

The sound of someone clearing its throat coming from upstairs made both snap out of their trance. Mary looking at them both with a child-like smile on her face.

"Good night, kiddos," she muttered before turning her back to them.

Catherine slid down the couch and repeat Mary's words while turning her back to Steve. He wanted to say something but he knew it would be useless. With a sigh, Steve went upstairs to take a blanket and give it to Catherine.

She was already asleep when he returned so he unfolded it and placed it gently over her body. She looked so quiet and beautiful that he allowed himself to stay there for a short while. A minute or two later, he made his way back to his bedroom.

Every inch of that place had Catherine's scent, and when Steve let his body fall on his bed, her perfume that was lingering on the sheets and pillow engulfed him merciless and he fell asleep to the image of a joyful Catherine that he witnessed earlier that day.

**xxx**

The sun was flooding Steve's room with its warmth and shine when Catherine woke up next Monday. It was just 6:07 in the morning but differently than her first two days in Hawaii, she noticed her body was getting used to that time zone, going back to its normal rhythm when she could go through the day with less than 8 hours of sleep.

Sitting on the couch where she had spent the night, she looked for her phone. Catherine always checked it first thing in the morning, just in case. It didn't have any missed calls or text messages, so she turned her attention to the outside. Looking through the windows, she carefully inspected the front yard of Steve's house and, just like last night, it appeared to be alright.

.

Catherine had already showered and was making breakfast when she heard footsteps on the stairs and approaching the kitchen. She stopped what she was doing for a second, glancing the long knife that was at the sink at arms reach. Her safety measure proved to be unnecessary when the slender figure of a known woman appeared on the door.

"Morning," said Mary still a bit asleep but offering her a smile.

"Morning," Catherine replied, giving the blonde her best smile. "Pancakes?"

.

"So.. I'm really sorry about last night," blurted Catherine. She and Mary were having breakfast without Steve - according to Mary, he should be still asleep.

"Nah. Don't worry about that," said Mary softly. "You were just doing your job."

Catherine smile and nodded; Steve's sister had this easy going personality what made any conversation much easier.

"So, I think I owe you a thank you."

Mary's words didn't make any sense to Catherine and she frowned. "What for?" she asked before bringing a piece of blueberry pancake to her mouth.

"Steve." Mary had her eyes locked on Catherine's. "You proved his innocence. Thank you."

"Oh, you really don't have to thank me, Mary Ann.. It was nothing," she replied shyly.

"It was a lot. To Steve and to me, so, thank you." Catherine nodded, accepting her words. "And call me Mary. Mary Ann sounds too formal."

Both women shared a laugh as they continued their breakfast.

"It's Catherine, right?"

"Catherine Arizona Taylor," she said with a nod. "But you can call me Kate."

"Arizona? Nice name.. It's different."

"It was my dad's idea," she said taking a sip of her coffee.

"I like it.."

An awkward silent fell upon them when Catherine didn't seem to find the right words to ask her the one question she kept wondering about the entire night.

"So, uh- what exactly did you mean by _another Catherine_ last night?" She tried to sound as casual as possible.

Mary hesitated just like she did when Catherine asked her almost the exact same question less than eight hours ago.

"Look, it's nothing really.. It's just.. I met a girl named Catherine the last time I came to.. Hawaii."

"She was with your brother," Catherine wasn't asking. Deep down Catherine knew it: they were together, the other Catherine and Steve.

"It was a long time ago," said Mary hoping she hadn't said too much.

"Nah. It's alright. I was just curious," she said with a shrug. Even though Catherine felt this pain in her chest, she didn't show it.

When Catherine didn't show any emotions - any at all - about what she had just said, Mary questioned herself if that woman was too good with hiding her feelings or if she really didn't bother with what she had heard. The youngest McGarrett never had trouble with voicing her thoughts so she decided to just ask.

"I hope you don't mind my asking but - is there something going on between you and my brother, Kate?"

Mary's question caught Catherine with her guard slightly down and she almost chocked on her coffee.

"What? No!" She said, maybe too fast. "No.. We're just.. working." Her voice failed just a little but that was more than enough to Mary to keep going.

"So that eye thingy going on between you two last nigh..?"

"That was nothing," said Catherine excusing herself and getting her mouth busy with another piece of pancake. But she didn't deny that they eyed each other for a very long time.

"Right." Steve and Catherine's denial amused Mary greatly. She wasn't sure at first if there actually was something going on between Steve and Kate but after she witnessed them starring into each other's soul last night and Kate's reaction to her question right now, the puzzle pieces kind of naturally set into place. "So, how come you ended up as a FBI Agent?" asked Mary and Catherine smiled. She was so glad they weren't talking about Steve or Catherine or anything related to those subjects.

With a deep breath, she gave her a short explanation of her motives - her father that was an agent himself and her grandparents that were in the military. After that, their conversation became lighter and eventually, they were chatting about random things such as how Catherine liked to go to Los Angeles some day and how Mary Ann always ended up in some sort of trouble.

.

The clock on the nightstand showed it was 7:27 AM when Steve woke up. Stretching his body still in bed, it took him a moment of two to actually get up.

It took him about fifteen minutes to get ready - shower and all - and go downstairs. To his surprise, Steve found Catherine and Mary having breakfast and a cheerful conversation.

"Hello.." he said looking at both women with a suspicious tone.

"Morning, sunshine!" Mary said; he noticed she had a huge smile on her face and it made him raise an eyebrow. "Join us for breakfast. Kate here made some amazing pancakes, you should really try it."

He looked at the chair his sister had pushed with her feet then his eyes flew to Catherine who had a smile on her face - just like Mary.

"Have a sit. I'll get you a plate," she said with a smile while she left the table. That was beyond awkward to Steve.

"Okay.. What is going on?" he asked Mary while sitting on the chair directly in front of her.

"We are having breakfast and talking..?" she replied not exactly sure what he was expecting to hear. Apparently Steve didn't know what he was expecting to hear either because he just sat there looking at his sister.

"Here you go." Catherine had returned with a plate, fork and knife and a mug.

"Thank you," muttered Steve still not used to that scene.

Catherine was about to sit again when her phone rang somewhere in the living-room. With an 'excuse me', she left the McGarrett's to answer it.

"So, what were you two talking about?" asked Steve when Catherine was no longer nearby.

"Nothing really, just some stuff.."

"Some stuff? Huh.. Cool."

Mary just watched as Steve ate his pancakes with coffee. She knew it wasn't over and he was damn curious about it; hiding a chuckle, Mary felt glad she was back and grateful that her brother was alright.

.

The caller ID wasn't anyone Catherine knew, but it was from Hawaii so she answered it immediately.

"Taylor."

_"Catherine, hey.. This is Chin."_

"Chin, hi. How are you doing?" Even though she was a hundred per cent positive that wasn't a social call, it didn't mean she couldn't be polite.

_"I'm good, thanks. You?"_

"I'm fine. So, what's up?"

_"I have the copy of that tape you asked."_

"Great! Thank you." She had been waiting for that tape ever since the last time she spoke with Chin at the precinct.

_"Look.. There's something else."_

Catherine noticed his voice wasn't exactly calm. She wondered whether it was related to work or something else.

"What is it?"

_"The HPD found a body this morning on the beach."_

Work.

"Drowning?"

_"That was the first thought.. But according to the medical examiner, the man was already dead when they throw his body in the water."_

Catherine understood what he was saying.

"Dr Bergman has the body? "

_"Yes."_

"I'll talk to Steve and we're on our way."

_"Thank you, Kate. And I'll have someone to take the copy of the tape to you over there."_

"Thanks Chin, I really appreciate that."

With that, she hang up. That was it. Monday morning and they had work to do. Because Catherine didn't have much on the three names of Kono's list, she decided to have a look at the dead body in the morgue – any work was better than no work at all.

.

When Catherine reappeared by the table, Steve recognized her expression instantly. "Let me guess.. work call."

"Yep. We've got work to do," said Catherine simply.

Steve emptied his mug of coffee and was good to go. Catherine wasn't wearing her suit but was ready too.

"Stay out of trouble, Mary," she spoke to the blonde and they shared a smile.

"Right back at ya, Kate!"

Steve frowned to that. _When exactly they became best friends_? But Catherine's tap on his shoulder made him forget it and he just continued walking.

"Hey Mary," said Steve by the door. "Be careful, okay."

"You too," she replied affectionately.

With one last glance to his little sister, Steve ran to his Chevy Silverado, where Catherine was already waiting for him.

. . .

* * *

><p><em>So, that was it.. I'd like to ask you to let me know what you think. It would help me a lot to know what your thoughts are and if you have any critiques and stuff like that! Mahalo sailors! <em>


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello sailors! Thank you so much everyone's who's reading this story :3 you're all too precious for this world!**

**Well, for this chapter I'd like to state the fact that I know nothing - _nada_ - about any sorts of criminal organizations or anything related to that. It's all my imagination, okay?** **Alright. Thank you.**

**I think there's something very wrong with me (maybe I'm facing some writer's block, like my beloved Nicole) but this chapter seems so very wrong.. **Again, I am very unsure of it, but then again, I couldn't think of a way to make it better. So for that I'm sorry.**  
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**Also, this chapter is a little bit shorter than the others but I hope you enjoy it **and that you won't get too disappointed on me.. **  
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* * *

><p>"Where are we going?" Steve asked as soon as he pulled out of the entrance of his house. Catherine had just said they had work to do, nothing further.<p>

"To the medical examiner's office," she said simply. "Chin called. The HPD found a body on the beach, but it wasn't drowning. The guy was dead before he was tossed in the water.. He wants us to have a look at it."

Steve just nodded. He didn't hold any grudges against Chin; even though it was quite a shock when he saw Chin Ho Kelly with the HPD in the Governor's house the night she was murdered; now he understood his motives.

"We need to get a hold on Danny," said Steve as his fingers started working on his phone.

"Already did it," informed Catherine. "Didn't get an answer; apparently his phone is off."

"He might be on a plane or something.. What about Kono? Did you call her?"

"I'm on it."

.

It didn't take Steve more that five minutes to get to Dr Max Bergman's office. By that time, Catherine had spoke with Kono and she was on her way to the Five-0 Headquarters.

"So," said Steve when he killed the engine of his truck near the building. "What happened this morning?"

"What do you mean?" asked Catherine as she stepped out of the vehicle and made her way towards the entrance that would lead them to the office of that unusual medical examiner. Steve sped up just enough to reach her.

"I mean you and my sister.. breakfast..?"

"Oh, that.. Well, I woke up early and thought breakfast was a good idea. Then your sister showed up and helped me."

Catherine's explanation made sense, but something was still bothering Steve. "And what did you talk about?"

The woman walking by his side smiled. She was waiting for that ever since Steve woke up and got surprised when he saw the two women in his house having breakfast.

"Nothing much, to be honest," she said calmly. "She wanted to thank me and then we just ended up talking about random things."

Maybe Steve had accepted Kate's words or maybe it was because they had reached Max's office, but he stopped asking about the earlier events.

"I was waiting for you," said Max as soon as they showed up and before they could knock on his door. Just like the day before when they went there, the medical examiner didn't even bother saying anything else, he just walked to the next room with his quick pace. Kate squinted, and when Steve followed Max, she thought that was how the Asian man was. With a shrug, she followed them.

"John Doe. Found on the beach and even though his appearance suggests he spent a long time in the water, the cause of death was not drowning."

"You sure?" asked Steve. Max stared at him, his face was expressionless.

"Yes. I am sure," he replied not so calmly. "During the autopsy, nothing suggested he died while in the water."

"So, this was a homicide?" This time it was Kate asking.

"I am.. not sure," admitted Max poorly. Kate and Steve exchanged a curious look.

"What do you mean, you're not sure?"

"It means I still don't have enough information to state if it was a homicide, or he died due to natural causes."

Natural causes. That was the second time they heard that in less than two days, and, even though Catherine's senses were tingling, this time it could have been a natural death; the guy should've been in his mid or late forties and he wasn't exactly fit like Henry Jackson.

"There are no forced traumas or bullet holes, no strangling marks," continued Dr Bergman as he showed the body. That man didn't look like Hawaiian; _a foreigner or a tourist maybe? Kono would be able to provide them with an ID_, thought Steve. "I'm waiting for the toxicological exam results. They should be ready in a moment."

"Alright," said Steve with a nod. Turning to Catherine, he noticed the woman was looking at the Doe body the same way she looked at Henry Jackson's. "Will you examine the body as well?"

She raised her eyes and noticed she should have been squinting; she did that when she was thinking. "What? No. No, I was just.. This guy.. I think.."

"What?" asked Steve, his eyes fixed on her profile while she was once again staring at the corpse on the stainless table.

"There's something about him.."

"Like what? Do you know this guy?" Both Steve and Max were looking at Catherine, and they were quite intrigued.

"I.. don't think so.. weird."

Grabbing his phone, Steve took a picture of the John Doe and made a phone call. "Kono, I'm sending you a picture. We need the ID of this guy. Call me when you get something."

Shortly after Steve hang up, the printer in Max's office started working.

"Toxicological results," he muttered and left Steve and Catherine alone.

Steve had his eyes still locked on Catherine while he called Danny's number; the weird expression in her face was bothering him.

A phone ringing made Catherine stop thinking about the dead guy for a moment.

"Taylor," she answered to her own phone without looking at the caller ID.

_"Hey love, it's me." _Trish's voice came through it so full of energy that Catherine paid more attention. _"It took me a long while but I firmly believe I finally have the missing piece on Joshua Parker and it's quite interesting, to say the least."_

"And what is it?"

_"You and Commander McSexy were right. Joshua Parker is on the witness protection program."_

Catherine didn't even bother with the 'McSexy' comment; she could hear Trish's finger working fast on her keyboard and she just said she had information about the third name on the list - the one that was making her life miserable - and it was enough for her to wave off that and pay attention to the redhead on the other side of the phone. "I'm listening," she said simply.

.

Danny still wasn't answering his phone so Steve hung up. The New Jersey detective was not only his partner but also a friend, so he decided to give him the space he needed. Whatever they had there, Steve, Kono and Catherine would handle it.

Steve had just pressed end when his phone rang. It was Kono.

"Kono, talk to me."

_"The guy you sent me the picture, his name is Joshua Parker, 46, works at a music store in Waikiki.."_

"Wait a minute, did you just say Joshua Parker?" Steve's eyes flew to where Catherine was standing, but she had her back turned to him and seemed pretty busy with whoever she was talking to. "Are you sure about it, Kono?"

_"Yes. I'm positive, but there are some, well, weird things about this guy. He's on that list I came up with - the one about the cars and tires, but I can't find anything about him before-"_

"2003," Steve finished her sentence, running a hand through his hair.

_"Exactly,"_ said Kono surprised. _"How did you know?"_

"Catherine was able to get that information on the weekend.. Look, Kono, I'm gonna need full background on this guy; check his bills, credit cards, cell phone, places he went to, people he spoke with, everything. I also want to know with details what he did during the last week."

_"Got it, boss."_

.

Both Steve and Catherine were on the phone when Max returned with the results of the toxicological exams; Steve was the first one to hang up.

"I have the results," informed Max to Steve when he noticed the Five-0 wasn't busy anymore. "There are traces of an unusual substance, but nothing conclusive. I'm running it again, using a different test protocol."

Steve moved in the same place a little impatient. Max said yesterday that there were quite a few tests for different poisons - and they probably wouldn't be able to run every single one of those - and that was very frustrating. "Okay.. How long is he dead?"

"I'd estimate the death occurred within the past forty eight hours."

Steve just sighed. Rubbing his face with his left hand, he started pacing, but was interrupted by Catherine when she finally joined them.

"Our Doe is Joshua Parker," said Steve looking at her. Her expression was livid so he didn't go any further. "What? What happened?"

"What came out on the test results?" asked Catherine ignoring Steve's questions.

"Inconclusive," muttered Max weakly. "But I'm running it again.."

With a short nod, Catherine was already wearing rubber gloves for Steve and Max's desperation.

Both had their eyes on the startled woman in front of them. As far as Steve McGarrett could tell, Catherine Taylor was way more serious than any other person he had ever met - and he'd met plenty.

"Kate?"

Once again, she ignored Steve and her hands flew to the abdomen of the victim without hesitate one bit; her grey eyes flew to the navel and, judging by her expression, she found what she was looking for, but Steve couldn't read what she was feeling - it was like an unusual mix of satisfaction and distress.

"Try looking for stone fish venom," said Catherine as she showed them the hidden needle mark on the victim's navel. After taking a few pictures of the dead body, she took off the gloves and tossed them into a trash can that was nearby. Max frowned and Steve lifted an eyebrow after hearing her mysterious insight. "Call us when you get the result."

She was already on her way out when Steve stopped her by the door. "Wait. How did you know that?" asked Steve dubiously. "You didn't even flinch, knew exactly what to look at.. Catherine.."

Catherine brought herself to look at Steve. His eyes, along with his entire face and body were far from friendly, but not threatening. It was an expression she had seen many times on her boss - somewhere in the middle of concerned, worried and frustration for being kept in the dark.

"Look, I didn't lie when I say there are a few things you don't know about me," said Catherine in a low deep voice, her dark grey eyes were locked on Steve's. "We need to talk," she added as her hands found his. "Let's go. I'll explain once we're out."

Steve noticed the quick movement of her eyes towards the entrance of the medical examiner's building and nodded, indicating he was fine with that at least for now. Whatever she knew, it should be something pretty big because Catherine's acts could be easily classified as aggressive-aggressive.

"Okay," she said, making her feet move a little faster than the usual. They didn't even say goodbye to Dr Bergman - they just left the building, like a Tsunami alert had just went off.

Steve managed to stop Catherine before she ran over a police officer who had just parked the HPD car and was on his way inside.

"Oh shit! I'm sorry, Miss Taylor" said the young officer apologetically when he almost dropped something he was carrying. Steve couldn't help but notice he was new on the corporation and he seemed to be quite agitated, probably because Catherine was an FBI Agent, but it could also be because the DC woman was exquisitely beautiful.

"It's okay," she said quickly, giving the guy what was supposed to be a reassuring smile but it just felt wrong.

She was ready to walk past the uniformed man when he spoke again. "Ma'am, I have something for you." Only then she noticed the small package he had in his hands. "Lieutenant Kelly told me to give this to you."

The copy of Dr Bergman's statement the day she arrived in Hawaii - Catherine didn't remember Chin saying he would send it to her while she was still at the ME.

"Thank you, Officer.. Helms." She made a short pause to read the name on his uniform and the she flashed him a smile - not an odd one this time. Officer Helms had time only to smile back before Catherine and Steve continue their way towards the blue truck.

Steve couldn't ask her what the hell was happening because the moment they got into the truck, her phone rang.

"Taylor," she said quickly and it couldn't sound more professional nor stern. Steve started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot but kept an eye on her all the time. "Yes, sir.. Yes, sir.. Honestly, sir, I don't th- _yes, sir_."

Steve couldn't help but cock an eyebrow. Apparently there was someone in the world who could give her some orders.

"With all due respect, Watson, I am not the slightest bit okay it and I sure don't agree with what you're saying.. I know, believe me, I know.. **But** I don't agree with that! I already hav-" Maybe she wasn't exactly taking orders, Steve thought. He remembered that one time when Danny answered Rachel's lawyer call - the way they could go from calm, peaceful as a lake to something like a volcano in activity was incredibly amazing. "Sir. I understand your concern but trust me, sending a bunch of people will not be that helpful.. The what? Is this a joke?.. No, sir.. Nuh- alright." There was a long pause. Catherine turned to face Steve for a second and notice the concern written all over his face. According to what he was seeing, Steve noticed her mood wasn't any better; a quick glance at her hands and he noticed the one she was holding her phone was starting to get white as the other one made her look like she was about to punch someone.

None of them did or said nothing because as soon as she turned to look at him, apparently the person she was talking to returned as well. "Yes, I'm here.. Yes.. I do, it's true.. Okay, thank you,.. I know.. I'll be careful. Thanks, Neal, bye."

When Catherine hang up, even though she didn't look like she was about to spit fire anymore, her whole body was still tense.

For now, Steve could just wonder what was causing her to be like that. With a deep breath, Catherine turned her attention back to her BlackBerry as she called someone else.

"Trish, hi.. You were right. Thanks for that baby girl. I owe you, big time.. Don't worry, that's not part of the plan.. Yes, I'm sure. Give me some time to check that, okay?.. I'll be fine. Thanks for that too.. Will do.. Okay, listen, I have to go now. Talk to you soon, Trish. Bye."

Steve had just parked next to the Five-0 headquarters when Catherine hang up, this time, for good. With a deep breath, Catherine stepped out of the vehicle along with Steve and they walked silently to the imposing building.

.

Kono was working by the smart table when the doors went wide open. She turned just enough to see Steve and Catherine walking inside.

"Hey, I'm still working on the victim as you asked," she told Steve and he just nodded. Suddenly, Kono noticed there was some sort of growing tension in the room. "What's going on?"

Catherine put her phone on top of the table Kono was working just seconds ago.

"Hi, Kay," said Catherine when she stood by the Asian girl. Kono replied with a small smile but Steve's stiffness was kind of bothering her.

"I heard you were able to provide the victim's ID.. And his name is Joshua Parker?"

"Yes, but the guy was a ghost before 2003.."

"Yeah. So I've been told.. That's because his real name is not Joshua Parker," said Catherine. Her eyes scanned Kono and Steve's face; Kono seemed to be a little bit shocked, but Steve wasn't. Of course, he was there when Trish briefed her with what she had found on the weekend. "As we imagined," she continued while looking at both. "He was on the Witness Protection Program, and his real name was Marshall O'Hanlin. Born in Dallas, Texas. Graduated in Yale and became a journalist and moved to Australia, where most of his parents were from. O'Hanlin got into the Witness Protection after he found out that the Organized Crime in Australia were planning an attack, and the target was a politician. Thanks to his intel, the attack was managed to be neutralized by a tactical force along with other sorts of backup, such as the local police, army and things like that. In the end the visit went well. After that, O'Hanlin flew back to the US where he has been under protection.. until now," explained Catherine. Opening the pictures she had taken of the body, she put on the screen the picture of his navel. "This here tells us that the Australians are somehow involved with the death of O'Hanlin, aka Joshua Parker."

"How did you even noticed that?" asked Kono squinting at the picture that was on the flat screen. The needle mark on the navel could easily be missed.

Steve had his eyes on Catherine; he was wondering the same question, and now he had his own theory. "You've seen this before, didn't you?"

Catherine looked back at Steve who had just asked that. It wasn't exactly a question because she could see in his eyes he knew exactly what he was saying, and there were no traces of doubt - not strong ones at least.

"Yes, I've seen this before.. And that's also why I asked Dr Bergman to look for stone fish venom. The stone fish is fairly common in Australia."

"So.. you think the Australian Organized Crime is somehow involved with the car parked in front of Steve's house?"

Kono wasn't sure if she was following. Their first though was that it was work of the Yakuza, but now with the Australians..

"I don't think so, but, honestly, I wouldn't know for sure," said Catherine. She had never heard of the Australian Organized Crime working with some other mafia - it never happened before. A shiver ran down her spine when she thought of the possibilities.

"The tactical team who operated the maneuver in Australia, you were part of it?" Steve's question didn't sound aggressive to Catherine. As far as she could tell, he was just trying to understand how she knew what she knew about the Australians.

"Yes, I was," admitted Catherine. Steve nodded, showing he had figured that. "That's also how I knew about the navel spot and the venom. I stayed in Australia for long enough to learn a bit about how the organized crime operates there, and this," she indicated the picture with her head, "illustrates how they shut people down, at least this is one way.."

"Who exactly were they targeting?" asked Kono frowning. "The United States and Australia are well related.."

"We're not talking about governments, Kono. The mafia and any kind of organized crime syndicates have their own rules and ways of regulation."

"Is it possible that they are here after you too?" Steve didn't even try to hide his growing concern. The journalist that was lying on the ME's table just gave the information while the woman in front of him was active part of the operation that frustrated the Australians plans.

Catherine's eyes shifted to the floor for a split second. Even though it was unlikely, that thought had crossed her head ever since she got the phone call from Trish at Max's office. "I – uh.. I don't think so," she answered, but, judging by the way she stuttered, it was clear that Catherine wasn't a hundred per cent sure of that.

Steve knew enough about reading people to notice Catherine's uncertainty; he could also see she was putting up one hell of a fight to not let it get to her. Her unexpected vulnerability made Steve admire and like her even more - there was more to her than the tough FBI Agent, Alpha Female figure she tried to show.

"Kono, did you get Joshua Parker's address?"

"I can find that in two seconds," said Kono going back to the table.

"Alright, send it to my phone. Also, forget Joshua Parker - Marshall O'Hanlin - whatever for a while. I want you to check for Australian passports that came to Hawaii during the last week; cross references with every single database, especially Interpol. Once you get this done, go back to Parker's contacts; I want to know who he talked to and met also during the last seven days. If he got in touch with anyone from Australia, I want to know."

"Already on it," replied the Asian, already working as fast as possible. Kono heard carefully every instruction Steve gave her; there was a fierceful determination in his tone that gave her an extra boost, in case she starts to get frustrated. Knowing her boss like she knew, Kono was sure Steve wouldn't allow anyone of his team to get hurt, and Kate was no exception.

"Kate and I are going to check the victim's place," said Steve. "Call me as soon as you get something."

"Yes, sir."

"C'mon, let's go," ushered Steve and seconds later they were walking through the glass doors one more time.

.

"Hey, Kate.. We'll get whoever did this, okay? You have my word."

They had just left the building and were pretty close to where Steve parked his Chevy Silverado when she felt a strong hand touching and gently squeezing her upper arm causing her to stop on her tracks.

"I don't doubt it," she said as calm as it was possible.

"But you're worried."

Steve's reply made Catherine flinch. As a trained agent, she needed to do a better job with keeping her emotions at bay - her life could depend on that.

When she didn't deny that or said anything else, he rubbed her arm and continued. "You have the Five-0s now, Kate. And you don't need to give me that '_I-can't-risk-your-safety_' speech because I've already heard that." He saw in her eyes she was about to say that so he waved it off. "This is a team. We got each other's back. This is how we roll. And, whether you like it or not, you're in this with us. I won't let you get hurt, Arizona. Not on my watch."

Catherine heard his words quietly. She had been dead quiet even before they walked out of the HQ. But hearing Steve saying those words, looking deep in his eyes and seeing that he wasn't lying, he wasn't just saying it so she could shut up and let him work, it was more than she was expecting.

Actually, throughout her life, Catherine had learn to not expect anything - if you don't have expectations then you don't get disappointed, and if you don't get disappointed then you don't have to deal with strong and painful emotions.

So, to say that Steve's words caught her with her guard down, and the look in his eyes made her heart skip enough beats to probably cause her death was one hell of an understatement. And when he called her Arizona, Catherine could feel her eyes getting wet and she had to blink a couple of times to avoid the tears from showing up.

With a deep breath, she tried to say something - anything to compensate her lame behavior but she couldn't think of anything. Steve noticed that too and didn't say anything else. He allowed the silent set in as he gave her a half smile.

Steve reached to the door and was about to open it when Catherine's hands stopped him - she was shaking a little.

"Wait.."

Letting go of the door, he brought himself to look back at those watery grey eyes once more. Catherine hesitated one time or two, and when she finally found her voice, and some words to say, Steve's phone rang loudly.

. . .

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><p><em>So, what are your thoughts on this story so far? Please, feel encouraged to share your opinions; feedback is greatly appreciated! Mahalo everyone!<em>


	13. Chapter 13

**Aloha everyone! **

**It took me a while to get this chapter done, so for that I'm sorry. But I hope you all enjoy!**

**I wanna thank every single one of my readers! You're all super amazing! And a _special thank_ you to SugarMuffin08 because she helped me to get this done and gave me some brilliand ideas, so thank you. So very much.**

* * *

><p><em>Letting go of the door, he brought himself to look back at those watery grey eyes once more. Catherine hesitated one time or two, and when she finally found her voice, and some words to say, Steve's phone rang loudly.<em>

"Hold on," said Steve to Kate and she nodded. He took the small object out of his pocket quickly feeling a little annoyed, and checked for the caller ID. "Mary," he said his sister's name with a sigh.

_"Steve, hey.. Are you busy?"_

"Not anymore," he replied. He had his free hand on his hip - a sign he was a little frustrated with Mary's call. "What happened?"

_"Well, I thought I should tell you.. Someone came to your house after you.."_

"Well, who was it?" Steve's voice went from annoyed to alert in less than a heartbeat.

_"NAVY Catherine.."_ said Mary making a little suspense and adding some drama when she said her name._ "She heard about you and decided to pay you a visit too.."_

He could not believe his ears; Steve and Cath weren't exactly a couple and he haven't heard of her in months.. He couldn't even wonder why she was there now.

Steve's eyes searched for Kate and found the woman patiently waiting a few steps away front of him - Kate gave him the privacy he never asked for.

"Okay.. Uh- what happened?"

_"Happened that she just left. She asked for you, I told her you were alright and already back to work so she said she'd meet you at your work place.. Because I was the one who told her where to find you, I thought I should give you a heads up.."_

_Great_, Steve thought to himself but didn't say a word. Instead, he closed the space Kate created between them and indicated the truck with a short movement of his head, silently saying they should get going. She understood his mute signal and walked quickly to the other side. Maybe his silence said something to Mary because she added:

_"And apologize.. I'm sorry, Steve. I didn't mean to-"_

"It's okay Mare," he said quickly, using her nickname. "It's okay. You didn't do nothing wrong.. I gotta go now, but thanks."

The moment he hang up, Kate was already inside the truck waiting for him. He noticed he had a message from Kono, so he occupied his seat behind the steering wheel and, starting the engine even before he had the door closed, they were on the road pretty soon.

"Is everything okay with Mary?" asked Kate carefully after a short while. Steve seemed a little disturbed after the phone call.

"What? Yeah.. Uh- Mare is fine, she just.. She just called to tell something," he said; his eyes shifting between Kate and the road.

Steve found himself facing an awkward situation: he could tell Kate about Cath - in facr, he wanted to, but he'd say what? _"Hey, Kate. You remember other Catherine, the one Mary mentioned? Guess what? She's in town. We had a thing long time ago but it's in the past."_ That was just really stupid. His other option would be talk to Cath and figure out what exactly she was doing there.. Maybe explain to her that things were, well, different now..

Damn! He was an ex-SEAL, had been to many places and different countries, some war zones, yet, there he was - struggling over women. Women! The one thing that was never a problem before. Steven McGarrett was a military man currently the boss of the Five-0 task force of Hawaii and two women were messing up with his head. That was unbelievable! He silently thanked God Danny wasn't there cause he could almost hear the short Jersey Detective rambling about how amusing it was to see the SuperSEAL being affected by the Catherines.

"Okay then," whispered Kate leaving it to that. With a job that required to read people, she knew when someone just didn't want to talk, and, because Steve wasn't a suspect being interrogated or anything like it, she decided to just let it go, after all, she didn't have any rights to pry into his private life even though Mary was a good excuse to do so because, even though they didn't spend that much time together, Kate liked Steve's little sister.

Their ride to Parker's house was marked by an awkward silence. Kate didn't know how to break the ice and neither did Steve and Parker's house was about thirty minutes from the Five-0 HQ - it was a long ride.

When Steve finally parked in front of the fancy two-storey house by the beach, he and Kate thanked whoever was accepting their words for their time inside the truck to be over.

"Here," said Steve handing Kate a Kevlar. He carried a couple of those in the back of his Silverado, just in case. "Put this and stand behind me."

Doing as he said, Kate put the vest and followed his lead. She didn't agree with the last part of his request but did it anyways.

.

Joshua/Marshall's place was a mess. It looked like a hurricane happened inside his house - part of the furniture was broken, there were portraits, decorative stuff and lots of papers all over the floor.

Kate went upstairs while Steve stayed downstairs, but it was clear; no one was in the house.

"Hey, Steve! You should come here.."

During the process of making sure the place was safe, Kate found money - a pretty reasonable amount of money in a safe that was opened, judging by the explosion marks, with C4.

"Doesn't look like robbery," said Steve once he saw the blown safe.

"Couldn't agree with you more," replied Kate as she paced through the room. The man was murdered and had his place trashed - that could not be a coincidence.

The place was so beyond destroyed she was even feeling sorry for the crime scene unit who'd process that place. "I'm gonna call the HPD.."

"Already did it. They're sending people to process the scene."

Glancing at Steve, Kate saw traces of what should have been the former Naval Intelligence guy. His face was twisted into a deep thoughtful expression that not even Kate - a federal agent trained to deal with any kind of threats - dared to bother.

Walking to the next room that seemed to be an office, Kate tried to find something useful in the middle of that never ending stack of papers, books and all sorts of office supplies.

Trying her best to ignore the growing fear that didn't seem to go away ever since she heard about the sudden return of her past, it took her longer than it should be necessary to find a broken portrait lying on the floor. It didn't exactly catch her attention but she picked it anyways.

Taking off the pieces of broken glass, Kate could see a random picture of a mountain; it was mainly just landscape. Squinting while running her eyes through the room, Kate's intuition was saying it didn't fit that place. It was the only portrait in that room and with no significant photo.

_'There has to be something I am not seeing,'_ she thought to herself. _'I'm missing something important..'_

Holding the portrait in her hands, Kate returned to her room inspection. The papers didn't seem to be important at all - they were just reports from the music store Joshua worked at.

_Joshua_.. Suddenly Kate realized what she wasn't seeing - Joshua Parker wasn't his real identity. Even though he had to change his entire life, he was still Marshall O'Hanlin. Journalist. And Kate knew enough about journalists: they were too driven, had this investigative thing running through their veins that would not just vanished with a new identity.

Running her fingers through the frame, Kate was expecting to find something on that - anything.. But she got nothing. It was just a regular frame you can buy at any store; not secret compartments nor hidden things. Kate sighed in frustration. She was sure she'd find something on that random portrait.

Her eyes flew to the picture. Maybe it was about the picture. Maybe it wasn't exactly random. Kate looked at that mountain photo for long enough and still didn't find anything; she didn't even hear when Steve walked into the room.

"Find anything?"

Kate almost jumped out of her skin when Steve spoke not too far from where she was standing.

"I never heard you coming," she spoke in between breath pauses; her heart was pounding. "I'm not sure.. I found this portrait and it just won't match the room.."

"Let me see it," he said reaching for the object in her hands.

Just like Kate, Steve's eyes searched the frame and the back of the portrait to find nothing. Then, when he opened the back of it, he found something.

"Hey, Kate.. You were right," said Steve to Kate that was looking at the book shelves, a few steps away. "There's something here."

Kate forgot about anything she was doing to turn her attention to what Steve has found. There was an address written on the white part of the photo and a memory card on the lid.

A noise downstairs indicated that the HPD was there so Steve and Kate went to meet with the cops.

.

"Chin, hey!"

The first person Kate and Steve recognized was Chin Ho Kelly. The victim's address was considerably far from his precinct area but he was there.

"Kate. Steven." The woman noticed by the way he said their names that he wasn't exactly sure of how things were and how he was supposed to act. She was about to say something but Steve spoke first.

"We were able to provide the Doe with an ID, his name is Joshua Parker and lived in Hawaii since 2003," explained Steve to Chin.

"Yeah. Kono told me that. Anything else?"

"Actually yes. Kate found out that the victim was on the witness protection program. His real name was Marshall O'Hanlin. We also believe that the Australian organized crime is somehow involved.."

Kate just watched that scene. It crossed her mind the thought that things would get awkward between Chin and Steve, but they just proved she couldn't be more wrong; they were working together, and pretty peacefully. That made her thinks about Danny.

She knew that Steve gave him a leave so he could see his daughter who was the most important thing in Danny's life, but now she wondered if the blonde detective would be back..

While Steve was explaining the situation to Chin, his phone rang.

"McGarrett." For a split second, Steve thought it was Danny calling him back, but then, the caller spoke - it was not his partner. "Cath? .. Yeah, I'm working." Muttering an _excuse me_, Steve walked a few steps away from Chin and Kate.

Kate wasn't exactly shocked, but she felt her heart sank. Cath should be Catherine, _Steve's friend_ like Mary said. She wasn't the kind of girl who'd act jealous - especially with someone she didn't have any bonds, strings attached or whatever - but she felt the green monster starting to close its hands on her heart.

Waving that thought and feeling away, she turned her attention to the HPD Lieutenant who was standing in front of her.

"We don't think this was a robbery," she said trying to hide the frustration that began to grow inside her chest. "The safe was blown, but there's a fairly great amount of money in one of the bedrooms."

Chin's eyes went through the place they were standing - a living room that was incredibly messed up - then returned to the woman in front of him.

"You think, whoever broke into his house were looking for something specific?"

"I don't think. I'm sure." Kate's grey eyes were dark and deep, and that made Chin nod in agreement. "I found this portrait and Steve figured it out," she said showing him the object, the photo and the memory card.

"Any idea what that is?"

"The guy was a journalist," revealed Kate and Chin chuckled. Journalists weren't known for their 'lay-low' profile, and he was willing to bet that their victim wasn't the exception to the rule.

"So? What do you have in mind?" Chin knew that the FBI Agent should already have some sort of plan figured out.

Steve joined them shortly after Chin inquired Kate about what they find out on the portrait.

"Sorry about that," he said simply, quickly turning the attention back to the case. "What are we doing?"

Kate looked at him a little suspicious but didn't say anything about that. Following his lead, she focused on what they had.

"I think we should get Kono to check the memory card," she said to both men. "I'd like to take part on this investigation along with the Five-0s." Even though she was suggesting an option, Chin knew she was just being polite - that case was already her jurisdiction, and, because she was with the task force, it was Five-0 territory as well. But he understood she was also requiring the HPD participation on the case, and he agreed instantly.

"Of course, anything you need."

"Good," she said a lot relieved. "Steve, why don't you take it to the HQ?"

Kate handed him the memory card while she kept the photo with the mysterious address.

"What are you doing?" Steve didn't like not knowing. For the first time, he thought he knew how Danny felt when he left him in the dark.

"I'll check this address," replied Kate simply.

"Chin can have someone to take this to Kono," he said demanding. "There is no way I'm gonna let you go there by yourself." His deep, low and husky voice was almost crawling into her skin and it gave her chills. Kate wondered if that man had any flaws.

"Don't worry. I won't go alone. Chin will come with me," she turned to look at the Asian man; he gave her a surprised look, which she waved off very classy. "We'll be fine. Besides, looks like you have something else to handle."

Steve looked at Kate; their eyes met and locked instantly. It was like no one else was there but the two of them. The ex-SEAL was now aware of the fact that the grey eyed woman standing in front of him knew something. The way she said those words were solid evidence that Kate knew - that woman had a sharp mind.

Steve could feel the tension between them but he chose to ignore it; he wanted to know what Kate wasn't saying. Her grey eyes were deep and a little darker, yet he could easily get lost there - Steve thought to himself he would never get used to the view, it was too mesmerizing. Trying his best to read Kate, the only thing he found there was determination. Not anything else; she just seem to be determined. He could feel the growing tension coming from Kate and he got her silent message.

Kate held his intense gaze majestically. She didn't flinch one bit, nor showed signs of backing down anytime soon and it made Steve wonder what else she was able to do. She was like a warrior, one goddamned good fighter and things could be interesting if she let go of that armor - the thought got him all tingly on the inside.

.

Ever since Kate heard about the other Catherine - or, like Steve just called her, Cath - something inside her woke up. She knew it was only a matter of time to either hear about her once again or meet her, and she had a feeling the time has come.

She had no idea what she was to Steve or if they were still together, but being an FBI agent, she had learn to base all of her judgments on the evidence found, and so far, she was clueless.

Also, as she repeated to herself over and over and over again, they were working. That was all. Their relationship should be strictly professional. But she was a woman, and Steve, well, Steve was an amazing man.. And when he answered that phone call just minutes ago and she heard him saying Cath, well, things changed.

She had already admitted to herself she had feelings for that man and things became easier, yet a bit complicated. Easier because she now knew how to deal with the overwhelming wave of emotions he brought to her life; complicated because she knew the existence of someone else and it should be more than enough to make her back down.

But she wouldn't. She just couldn't. So she decided to give him some space so he could handle it. It was a risky movement, but Kate wasn't ready to let go of her rules; she was considering the possibilities but now, at this very moment, it was too soon for her to just let go of it. So, with all the calm she could manage to put together, she told him to _go deal with it_.

It could have two possible endings: Steve and Cath would be together, Kate would finish the job and go back home or Cath would be just a friend and maybe Kate and Steve would still have a chance. Either way, it was all up to him. The man with the most magnificent hazelly-blue eyes that could make the whole world disappears.

.

They were still standing in the middle of a crime scene with the HPD, but none of them seemed to be aware of that. Only when Chin cleared his throat twice, Steve broke the eye contact.

"Okay. I'll take the memory card to Kono," he said taking the small piece of plastic Kate had in her hands. His finger brushing her soft skin in the process.

Chin didn't even try to hide his surprise. Steve wasn't the kind of guy to accept someone's imposition like that, but then again, Kate had this crazy Alpha Female thing going on. Seeing them together was like seeing two strong personalities that magically found a way to work together. Chin wondered how that happened.

"Alright," said Kate incredibly calm. "Call us when you get something."

She was about to turn her back to the tall man when his hands stopped her and brought her to face him once more.

"Wait," he said once they were face to face. His hand lingering on her waist. "Take care, alright. Both of you," he added looking at Chin who just nodded.

Kate felt the intensity of his eyes and had to swallow the lump in her throat. Even though she had her game face on, her inside was still startled with the idea of facing the Australians again.

"Will do." Her voice was just a whisper at first, but then it came out louder. "Now go. Let us know when you find out what's in that card. I'll keep you posted."

"_'kay_." Steve let go of Kate's waist against his own will. He didn't like the idea of splitting up now. A guy was dead and his place was trashed; if Parker/O'Hanlin was murdered because of those two pieces of information they had and a criminal organization was behind it, then others could die as well - and he didn't want it to be Kate nor Chin. "We'll be in touch," he said and, with a last glance at those he was leaving, Steve ran to his truck.

The sooner he found out what that card was holding and he talked to Cath, the sooner he'd go back to the case. And to Kate. He silently prayed she didn't get hurt in the meantime.

.

It took Kate a moment to move after Steve ran outside the house. After a few seconds she released her breath - she was unconsciously holding it.

Chin noticed Kate's quiet struggle. He heard Steve's short explanation about their case, but he had a feeling he wasn't being told everything, and her attitude was just adding to his gut feeling.

"Kate," he called her name. Chin felt the need to say something. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," she said, quickly turning to face him. "Everything's fine.. Shall we?"

Kate's behavior made Chin feel like he was talking to Steve McGarrett. Just like Steve, Kate had the tendency to keep everything to herself instead of sharing it, so he just agreed and walked out of the house towards his SUV with Kate by his side.

"Wait a minute," she said shortly after they got outside. "I need to check something."

Kate was looking for the victim's car. She already knew it was a Chevy Malibu, but she wanted to know if there was a chance that his car was the one that parked in front of Steve's place just yesterday.

His garage was open and it wasn't exactly a surprise. Taking her gun, she pulled up the gate and walked into the place, followed closely by Chin Ho.

Seeing the car, Kate didn't know what to feel. It was a white Malibu. The car in front of Steve's place was dark - it didn't seem to be that car. But she had seen cars change the color quickly with some sort of adhesive covering and she didn't want to have any doubts.

"Chin, ask your guys to process this car," said Kate while walking around the car, kneeling by the front tire - it had some mud on it.

"What exactly you're looking for?" asked Chin putting his own gun back on its holster.

"Where it was, if there's glue residue on the painting, anything." She saw Chin's questioning look and didn't even wait to give him more information. "I'd like to be a hundred per cent sure before affirming this car wasn't involved in this other case."

"What case?"

"Someone sent an envelope to Steve's house with photos of the night the Governor was killed," she said standing up. "And who did this was driving a dark sedan, a Malibu. I want to be sure it wasn't this one."

"You think he knew something about the Governor's murder?"

"No, hardly think so. The envelope had a note and it was written in kanji, what makes me think it was Yakuza work.. But I don't want to make wrong assumptions or exclude any possibilities. The evidence will tell us if this was or was not the car I'm looking for."

Chin agreed and, once they walked out of the garage, he called an Officer that was nearby and gave him instruction to take the car and process it.

.

"So," said Chin when they were already inside the vehicle. Kate was sitting on the passenger seat, adjusting his GPS to indicate the location on the back of the picture. "What is it that you're not telling me? Is it about the Australians?"

Kate raised her head, looking at the man by her side. Chin had this soothing thing going on that made people trust him; that combined with his incredibly calm personality made Kate forget about the GPS that she had already set to give the directions to wherever they were going.

"What do you know about the Australians?" asked Kate sitting back on the seat.

"Honestly? Not much," said Chin, shifting to adjust his position. "What do _you_ know?"

Kate didn't mind his straight forwardness. Actually, ever since the first time she met Chin Ho Kelly, she felt she could trust and talk to him.

"Sincerely? More than I wish I knew.." When she felt his eyes on her left side, she knew he was waiting for further explanation. Taking a deep breath, Kate told Chin what she said to Kono and Steve earlier that day.

"Look, I'm not trying to put more pressure on you, but.. Have you considered the possibility that they're also after you here in Hawaii?"

Kate shifted her eyes to the landscape, avoiding Chin's gaze. It was the second time she was asked that and, the more people talk about it, the more she was drawn to face that it was a damn strong possibility.

"Yes, I have," she muttered, still not looking at him.

"Kate.." Chin hadn't said anything other than just her name when she interrupted him loudly.

"No." Kate finally looked at the man who was driving. "Please. Don't."

"But Kate you have to understand-"

"Chin. With all due respect, don't go any further. I respect you so much, but don't push it. Please."

Without even realizing, Kate closed her right hand tightly and her fist was turning white. She knew she had been too harsh with Chin, even though he was probably right. Kate didn't need to hear what Chin had to say; she knew exactly what he was thinking. If she was a potential target, then she'd need protection, and maybe even step aside the investigation.

"Look, Chin.. I'm sorry," she said pinching the bridge of her nose. He was to say something but Kate waved him off. "It was uncalled for to talk to you like that. I just- I won't be treated as a victim, and I won't leave this investigation."

Chin nodded. He wouldn't expect anything different - not from her. "Alright.. So, what else?"

Kate looked at Chin dubiously.

"C'mon," he said, a small smile playing with his lips. "That's not everything.. What else happened in Australia?"

Her mouth hang slightly open. She had no idea how he knew it, but the things - he was right. What she had told Steve, Kono and Chin was not the whole truth; Kate tried to tell Steve the rest of it once they reached his truck outside the Five-0 HQ, but his phone rang and she had to postpone it.

"So?"

Glancing at Chin, Kate started talking, revealing him every single detail Steve and Kono didn't know yet.

Chin listened carefully, and, by the time she finished her explanation, his eyes were wide open and to say that he was concerned didn't even begin to explain what he was feeling.

"Steve doesn't know yet," she added once she had said everything to Chin.

"Kate," he said a bit nervous. "You know you have to tell him. He **needs** to know."

Chin's eyes were locked on Kate's profile as she avoided his gaze one more time; her hands seemed to be incredibly interesting so she kept staring at them.

"I know," she whispered after a long moment of quietness. Eventually, she looked at Chin and her eyes weren't that deep anymore. "I was going to tell him but, well, something got in the way.."

Chin heard that and chuckled inwardly. He knew exactly what she was talking about. "I don't think they are together," he said slightly amused.

"It's none of my business, Chin," she replied emotionless. "And we need to focus on what's really important here.."

"I don't know if you remember but I was there when you two were eyeing each other.." He'd use the same expression Steve used to describe Laura's look towards him - _eye sexting_ - but decided not to.

"We were not eyeing each other," denied Kate quickly. She slightly blushed with that comment.

When she dared to look at Chin, she found out he was already looking at her with one eyebrow lifted and a perky smile on his lips. Kate blushed even more and she knew she just got busted. But Chin was a reserved guy, so he just chuckled and waved that off.

"Well, like I was saying, you need to tell him," he said returning to the professional subject. "He needs to be aware of that, Kate, and it's better if he hears it from you."

"I know," she nodded in agreement. "I'll tell him.."

"Good," he said as he killed the engine when the GPS indicated they've reached their destination. Using his phone, he requested back-up. "And, Kate, the job is not the _only_ thing that is important."

Kate didn't know how to respond to that, and, apparently, Chin wasn't expecting to hear something in response. Flashing her a smile, he drew his gun to check if it was loaded and stepped out of his SUV, followed immediately by the FBI agent.

. . .

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><p><em>So, what are your thoughts on this story so far? Please, feel encouraged to share your opinions; feedback is greatly appreciated! Mahalo everyone!<em>


	14. Chapter 14

**Aloha sailors! I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews, story alerts and everything! You guys are amazing, thank you!**

**There are some things I'd like to say to some people, so here we go: Thanks **_maui04_** for the words and yeah.. the secret :3 Also, you think Kate's a formidable foe for Steve? Well, thanks! **_I guess .. I mean, you mean that in a good way, right?__Qweb_** said she missed Danny.. well, I miss him to so Danno is back babe xD ~ **_SugarMuffin08_**, thank you so so so so so so so much. People may not know why I thank her everytime but she's like my consultant/adviser/lovely friend/pretty much everything you can imagine, so yeah. Thank you. Very much. For everything. ~ **_ery06_**, thanks for such kind words! Well, I now have 37 reviews and appreciate every single one of them, so thank you! It's good to know you enjoyed Chapter 3 :}**

**Now, I'm not exactly sure about this chapter but I sure hope you enjoy!**

**And on a final side note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABES SCOTT CAAN AND ALEX O'LOUGHLIN!** **They are my loves. Always and forever_ *le heart*_**_  
><em>

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><p><em>"'kay." Steve let go of Kate's waist against his own will. He didn't like the idea of splitting up now. A guy was dead and his place was a trashed; if ParkerO'Hanlin was murdered because of those two pieces of information they had and a criminal organization was behind it, then others could die as well - and he didn't want it to be Kate nor Chin. "We'll be in touch," he said and, with a last glance at those he was leaving, Steve ran to his truck._

.

He had just got into his Chevy Silverado when his phone rang.

"McGarrett."

_"Boss."_ Kono's voice came loud and clear. _"I got the information you asked about the Australians. I got over ten hits on Australian passports in Oahu, nothing with the Interpol list."_

Steve closed his eyes in frustration; he didn't like it when their research didn't get anything useful.

"Did you run their pictures?" he asked quickly.

_"Was about to say that,"_ replied Kono with a small smile on her face that was easily perceptible on her voice. _"I did and got two hits."_

"Go ahead."

Even though Steve was on his way to the Five-0 Headquarters, it was quite a long ride, so he'd get use that time the best way possible.

_"George Ackleman and James White,"_ said Kono automatically, then the tone of her voice changed. _"You won't like to hear what's in their criminal records.."_

"What is it?" asked Steve.

_"Extortion, coercion and murder."_ Steve couldn't see it but Kono's expression match her tone - she wasn't the least bit glad with what came up with her digging.

"They're hitmen," blurted Steven seriously as his feet hit the gas pedal, increasing the speed of his truck immediately. He was now speeding through the streets.

_"I must admit, I'm with you, boss."_

Steve thought about Kate and Chin going to that goddamned address - he hated the idea and his decision of agreeing with that. What if these two men find out about that location? What if they find Kate and Chin there? _What if.._ The ex-SEAL waved those thoughts aside. Kate was a trained FBI agent and Chin was also a good officer, they should be fine. They needed to be fine.

"Alright, what about any connection with the Australians? The victim knew or had some sort of contact with anyone remotely related to them?"

Steve had put his phone on the speaker, allowing both hands to land on the steering wheel as he used all of his driving skills to get as fast as possible to the headquarters of the task force.

_"Uh.. No,"_ said Kono simply. _"He is in no way connected to them - __**was that a horn?**__"_

"Yeah," said Steve emotionless. He had his undivided attention to the other cars around him and yet, he'd avoided a collision with a car by inches. Even though he had the lights on indicating he was an officer of the law on duty and the other guy was completely wrong, the owner of the other car blew his horn and yelled some bad words at him. "Just some stupid driver.. Listen, Kono, I'm coming to the HQ but I want you to check something for me fast, okay?"

_"Okay,"_ replied a very excited Kono.

Steve had taken a picture of the writings on the back of the photo he found at the victim's place and was sending it to Kono.

"I just sent you a photo with an address," said Steve as he put his phone back on his lap - speaker still on.

_"Got it,"_ she replied.

"I need you to check what is it. And try to find out what's in it, copy?"

_"Yep, I'm on it,"_ she muttered.

"Alright. I'll be there in five." Steve didn't even wait for a reply to end the phone call.

.

"What are you guys working at?"

Kono raised her eyes from the smart table to look at her guest.

"The HPD found a body on the beach and we're investigating it," she replied casually.

"And it's about Australians and.. _Interpol_?"

Kono smiled; even though she didn't say much about the case they were currently working at, the NAVY Lieutenant Catherine Rollins was a smart woman.

"Yeah. Looks like the Australian Organized Crime is involved."

"Woah, Australian organized crime?" Cath's eyes went wide open with that information. "No offense, but isn't it.. a little beyond the jurisdiction of the HPD.. and the Five-0?" her voice failed a little while asking that.

"It is a joint work with the FBI," she explained and Cath raised an eyebrow.

"FBI? Wow.."

"Yeeeah," said Kono, barely paying attention to Cath now because of the address Steve sent her.

"Can I help you with anything?" offered Cath seeing Kono's concentration. She was starting to get nervous.

"No, thanks. I got this," said Kono with a smile. Truth was, she did got that. The address was a warehouse that was divided in rooms that served as private deposits. The only problem was, Joshua Parker didn't own a deposit.

"Well, I'll - uh.. I'll wait Steve in his office then," informed Cath as she walked slowly to the Five-0's boss room.

Cath was sort of scared to finally seeing Steve one more time.. Just the thought of it send a shiver down her spine, and when she saw Steve barging into the room and walking straight to Kono, Cath felt a knot being formed in what should've been her stomach.

.

"Kono, tell me you got something," said Steve first thing after he literally ran into the room. It was already after noon and he didn't stop one minute - not even to have a deep breath - but he wasn't willing to do it now.

"As a matter of fact yes," said Kono tossing a few files to the flat screens in front of them. "I did all I could with the address you sent, and I found out it's an old warehouse, divided in some sort of private deposits that can be used to store whatever the owners want," explained Kono while a picture with an aerial view on the screen to illustrate her speech. "And Joshua Parker does **not** own any of those deposits. But, I found out that this particular deposit, the J607 which is part of the address inthe photo, belongs to Natalie Tee." Kono's fingers slid through the smart table, sending a picture of a dark haired, tanned skin woman, late thirties, nice bone structure and very good looking. "Now Natalie, which is native Hawaiian and also shows no connections to any Australians whatsoever, seems to have a personal relationship with our victim.."

Kono looked at Steve, who was listening carefully until that moment.

"She's his girlfriend," he said, thinking out loud. Kono smiled.

"Exactly. I didn't get anything that could tell us what's in that deposit, but I got her address." she said triumphantly as she sent all the information she had on Natalie Tee to the screens as well so her boss could have a look at it. "Maybe she knows why Joshua was using it."

"Great job, Kono," said Steve with a half smile on his face. This time, it was only half because he was still worried about Chin and Kate. Also, there was the other thing they found at the victim's place. He took the memory card out of his pocket and gave it to Kono. "I also got this at his place. I need to know what's in it as fast as possible," he said seriously. "I need to make a phone call."

"Okay," replied Kono, and, before Steve could turn his back on her, she spoke again. "And, boss.. Someone's waiting for you.."

Steve followed Kono's eyes to his office - Cath. He had almost forgot about her, even though he'd just spoke with her.

"Oh.. Okay, thanks Kono," he said with a short nod. "And I need it fast. Please."

Steve was thinking about calling the airport to check if Daniel Williams was a passenger in the flight that was coming from New Jersey, but he decided to postpone it for a while.

"Hey," said Steve as soon as he walked through the glass door into his office. Catherine was standing there, sitting on his couch when her eyes were fixed on him. She had heard about what happened with the Governor and how Steve went to jail being the main suspect of her murderer, and seeing him standing right in front of her, it was just more than great.

"Hello, sailor." She greeted him with a small smile. It was a long time since she had last seen Steve. "It is good to see you again.."

"It's good to see you too," he replied with his usual half smile that seemed to be his signature. From the moment he walked past the door, he stopped, and he'd been standing there until now. Finally, he took a few steps, leaving his place and walking towards the woman standing in front of the couch.

Cath's arms wrapped around his waist as soon as he was at her arms reach and he couldn't not hug her back. Cath was and would always be a significant part of his life.

"So," said Steve as they broke the body contact. "It's not like I'm not happy to have you here, but what brings you to the island?"

"I heard about what happened and I thought.. I thought maybe I could try to do something," said Cath shyly. Obviously he couldn't do much but she could always give some support, after all they were friends.

"Well, I'm fine," he said as he let his body fall on the couch. Cath occupied a place by his side. "But I really appreciate your concern, Cath."

Silence fell upon them and both remained quiet and unsure of what they'd do with their hands or words. Cath noticed something was different, and it bothered her a little; it was quite obvious that they'd reached that one point where they would have to put all the cards on the table and face the number one of all the weird and uncomfortable situations that might happen when you get too close to someone else - figure out what's next. Even though they were apart for months, they never ended whatever it was that they had.

Things between Steve and Cath were always unusual. Sure it wasn't a normal relationship - if there is such thing as normalcy when it comes to all sorts of relationships - but they had their own rhythm and it worked alright. At least for the most part of it.

They spend some time together every now and then, when they could manage their busy routine of work. The last time they saw each other was about five months ago, and ever since then, things between them went a bit cold and distant.

They weren't playing hard to get or any games.. Cath could have called Steve, just like he could've tried to find her, but it didn't happen, they just didn't get in contact - the tight schedule was their best excuse but, deep down, they knew better than that. They weren't, like people say, meant to be together. They could have tried harder to make things work if that's what they really wanted to, but a relationship wasn't part of their plans by that time.

They knew that it wasn't anybody's fault that it happened, but now that they were facing each other for the first time in several months, it was only natural that they felt a little apprehension. Cath had no idea what was going through Steve's mind and the same happened to him - it was like being blindfolded in a mined camp. And neither like that feeling.

"Anytime," whispered Cath. "So," she said raising her voice a little. "Already working.. some things never change."

"You know what they say: Old habits die hard," Steve replied with a perky smile on his face and suddenly the silence gave place to the sound of giggles. It was easy to talk to Cath; even though she was a military woman, she knew how to balance strictness and softness.

"Yeah, I heard something like that," said Cath. Her small smile didn't seem to fade.

"Talking about change, did you escape work, Lieutenant?" asked Steve playfully as her eyes left her face and he glanced at her wardrobe - she was wearing her uniform. "Because that would be one hell of a change.."

"What? No! No.. I requested a leave," she said with a chuckle. " I just.. didn't have time to change."

Steve didn't say anything. It was pretty obvious she didn't have time to change because of what happened to him, and he was right. When Cath heard that McGarrett was arrested and he was being charged of murderer, the first thing she did was request a leave. Request wasn't exactly the word to describe it - she literally demanded it, but, because she had some leaves she had decided to postpone, her superior decided it was okay to let her go, and now there she was.

"How long will you stay?" asked Steve casually.

"I have a five days leave, but I'm not sure yet," said Cath simply. Looking into Steve's eyes, she could see some familiar things in there, but a lot was new. He was there, but not completely; Steve was nervous and a little uneasy. When he gave her a short nod after hearing her response, the first thing that crossed her mind was that it was about his work.

"Can I help you with anything?" she offered immediately. Even though she was on a leave, maybe she could do something.

"No," he said, gently turning down her offer. "No, we'll handle it. Don't worry.."

"If there is anything I can do, please, let me know.."

Steve glanced quickly at Kono before turning to face Cath. "If I need, I'll let you know.. Thanks, Cath."

She flashed him a smile in response. The woman noticed Steve was a little distant and it sort of made something inside her tingle - she'd never seen Steve so tense before. She raised an eyebrow when his phone rang and his hands flew to his pocket instantly, with erratic movements.

"McGarrett," he answered it before it could ring twice. "Danny, hey.. You're back?" Cath also noticed that his face showed signs of frustration for a split second. "Good, good.. No, we're fine, but I'm glad you returned.. She's not with me, we split up." Cath couldn't help but wonder who was the '_she_' that Steve and Danny were talking about. Kono was there.. Was there another woman in the tem now? "Okay.. Uhum. I'm waiting. Hurry up."

"It was Danny," Steve announced when he hang up his phone. He stood up quickly and Cath followed him. "He's coming so we can go meet with someone."

"Alright," she said simply.

"Alright," he repeated what she said. Steve glanced at Kono and noticed the Asian girl was looking right at him, and when their eyes met, she sent him a silent message that she'd found out what was in the memory card he brought from the crime scene. "Hey, uh- I gotta go, but we'll talk later, right?"

"Okay. Maybe we can grab something to eat?" she asked before Steve walked out of his office.

"Sure," he said with a short nod and rushed to talk to Kono, leaving Cath with her thoughts and lots of confused ideas in her head.

.

"It took me a while to get access it because it was encrypted," explained Kono as soon as he reached the table and stood by her side. "And there's a very good reason for that," she said opening the device.

Steve just took a quick look at its content. It was clearly the work of a journalist. There were several folds with images, notes, even a rather large file of what could have been a huge story or a report, or even the skeleton of a book.

Ignoring the images, Kono opened the last archive. Steve didn't take time to read the full content of the material but one thing was very obvious. Even as Joshua Parker, that man didn't let go of his 'job'; he'd been given a second chance to start over but he didn't do that - not really. He never stopped being a journalist and kept doing his investigations, and it was all about the Australian Organized Crime.

That was it. If they have any doubts of the involvement of the Australians, it all vanished with that. Steve was damn sure they were behind it, he just wanted to find out what they were after - or maybe who.

"Kono, do you know where we can find those guys, Ackleman and White? Where they're staying?"

The two names that appeared on Kono's research were now Steve's number one priority - he wanted to find them, so badly.

"According to the aliases they're using, both are staying at the Lauhala Hotel."

"Call the hotel and check if they're still there. I'll call Kate."

She told him to call her as soon as he got something and that's what he'd do. In fact, his whole being was practically yelling at him to call her ever since Kono said she got two hits on the Interpol.

He dialed her number immediately and held to his phone like he was holding onto his life - Steve needed to tell her, and, most of all, he just wanted to be sure she was fine.

It took a while to Steve hear anything coming from his phone, and when it finally made a sound, Steve hated what he heard; it was occupied.

"C'mooon," he said ending the call and dialing it again. Still occupied. "Damn!"

Chin. His mind immediately flew to Kono's cousin. Kate said they'd go together so he decided to call him; it rang endlessly and it ended up on his voice mail.

"Dammit!" Steve didn't yell, but his voice came out loud enough to draw the attention of the two women that were at the HQ though.

Kono was on the phone and just addressed a look at her boss, while Cath was standing by his door just watching but Steve didn't register the attention he was getting. He was trying to get a hold on Kate and Chin and was failing epically.

He started pacing through the room; Kate's phone was still going straight to her voice mail and Chin wasn't answering his, and it was getting on Steve's nerves.

"I spoke with the manager and he said that they both left this morning, just like they always do," said Kono as she hung up the phone.

Steve ran his hand through his hair, a clear sign of unamusement. "Any hints on credit cards or anything like that?"

"No. They're paying everything with cash," said Kono, just confirming Steve's suspicious; he doubted they would be using anything that would leave any tracks, but he needed to be sure.

At that precise moment, Danny walked into the room. "Hello everyone," he greeted kindly. "Oh, hey Cath," he waved towards her.

"We'll talk to Natalie. Please, work on the content of this memory card, okay?" said Steve quickly as he saw Danny. "And if by any chance you talk to Kate, ask her to call me immediately."

Kono just said a 'got it' and Steve was already walking towards Danny. The blonde detective didn't even got to the table when Steve met him to announce they had to go.

"Woah, woah.. Hang on. What is going on? Are we working a case?"

"Yes, Danny, we're working," said Steve a little annoyed and still not letting go of his phone. "Now let's go. I'll explain everything when we're on our way. C'mon."

"I'm glad to see you didn't lose your charm," muttered Danny as he followed Steve back outside.

**xxx**

"So, let me get this straight.. You're saying we're dealing with the Australian mafia?" asked Danny astonished. He had been briefed on his way out of the Five-0 headquarters and while they were driving to meet with Natalie Tee, the victim's girlfriend.

"I believe so," agreed Steve, not even looking at his partner. He was driving Danny's silver Camaro as usual.

"And they killed this guy who was on the witness protection program?"

"We don't know for sure but it's likely."

"It's likely - that's great.. And Kate was somehow involved with an investigation about them in the past?"

"Yes."

"Huh.."

Danny remained silent for a moment while processing the incredible amount of information he had just received. He was gone for less than two days and when he returns, they already have this crazy situation installed - just another regular work day for the Five-0s..

"I have a question," said Danny after a moment or two. "Am I the only one who thinks this is just a little too much for us to handle alone?"

Steve glanced at Danny. "You think we can't handle it?"

"That is not what I said - why you always find a way to distort what I say?" protested a very unamused Danny. Steve was to say something but the detective raised his hand and he remained silent. "What I said is, maybe - just maybe - this is just a teensy bit beyond our jurisdiction. I mean, Australians? They're from halfway across the globe!"

"I know where they are from, Danny. I don't need geography lessons from you right now," said Steve when he finally found a cue. "But they are in Hawaii, the guy died in this island, that makes this our case.. And Kate is working with us, so it's not like we're handling this alone."

Danny mumbled something through his teeth but Steve didn't get it, so they continued in silence for a moment, until Steve's phone rang.

"McGarrett," he answered putting it on speaker.

_"Steve, it's me."_

"Kate! Finally. I've been trying to talk to you for a while now.."

"Sorry, I was a little busy.. Did you find anything?"

Steve and Danny exchanged a glance; Kate was forcing her voice to sound casual, but they could tell something happened and it made suspicious grow inside them.

"Yeah," replied Steve trying to sound casual. "Kono found out the victim had a girlfriend, so Danny and I are going to talk to her."

"Oh, Danny is back.. That's good news."

"Hey, Kate," greeted Danny, letting her know she was on the speaker.

"Hey Dan! Nice hearing from you," she replied with a little more joy. "So, other than that, find what was on the memory card?"

"Turns out Joshua Parker didn't let go of his old identity. He was still investigating the Australians; it was all encrypted, what means he didn't want people to find out about it. There were images, notes and a large file. I didn't get to see it all in detail but Kono is on it. We might have an idea very soon.. How about you?"

"Well," said Kate a lot discouraged. "We found nothing. The place is clean." Steve and Danny frowned - that was disappointing. "The HPD will process the place, but.." Kate made a short pause, and with a deep breath, she continued "I don't know if they'll find anything.."

"Alright," said Steve. He and Danny were close to the music shop where Joshua worked, and that Natalie worked too. "We'll talk to Natalie now, then we'll meet you at the HQ."

"Actually.. I have to do something first and I'm not sure how long it will take," said Kate; her voice sounded a bit apprehensive. "But I'll talk to you as soon as possible."

"Something's wrong?" asked Steve and Danny could sense his partner was starting to get worried, what made him lock his eyes on the person that was behind the steering wheel.

Sure Kate's announcement made Danny wonder what happened but he wasn't exactly worried, after all, that woman proved to be tougher than she seemed to be.

"No.. Everything's fine. I'll meet you there."

"One last thing," said Steve quickly before she could end the phone call. "We got two hits on the Interpol with the Australian passports that came to Hawaii; George Ackleman and James White."

Steve parked the Camaro somewhere close to where they would find Natalie and waited for some answer but didn't get any, she was mute on the other side.

"Kate, you still there?"

"Yeah," she replied quickly. "I was trying to remember if those names were familiar, but I don't think they are.. Look, I gotta go now. Good luck."

Steve was to say 'thanks' but Kate was gone. He also noticed Danny's eyes on him and waved it off.

"Let's go," he said as he climbed out of the car and walked straight to the store on the other side of the road.

Danny followed Steve shortly. He knew that questioning him now would be useless so he decided to keep his mouth closed while they interrogate Joshua's girlfriend.

.

"Hello. My name is Steve McGarrett, Five-0. I'm looking for Natalie Tee."

The store wasn't exactly crowded but he had to show his badge to get someone to talk to him.

"Well, Natalie didn't show up today," replied a petite woman with a purple hair and a nose piercing.

"Do you know where we can find her? It's important."

"Well.. Maybe she's at her place.. Or at Joshua's. They were together, as in, a couple.. And he's not here either."

"Okay.. Can you get us her address? Please?" Danny jumped into the conversation. He heard about Joshua's murderer and what happened in his place and thought a store with a reasonable amount of customers wasn't a better place to break the news and tell he was dead.

The woman gave them Natalie's address very quickly and they left as fast as they got there.

.

Natalie's place wasn't too far from where she worked at, so they got there quite fast.

Steve knocked on her door three times and didn't get any answer, so ultimately he decided to get in. Drewing his gun, he made some signs to Danny indicating that they'd go in after his count to 3. Kicking it open, Danny and Steve went through every room of the house; they found nothing. No Natalie, signs of struggle, any broken windows and no signs of forced entry except for the front door they used.

"Place is clear," said Danny putting his gun back on the holster. Steve nodded and did the same.

"Yeah.. Now, the question is, is Natalie missing, running or what?"

Steve was already calling Kono; he was expecting to get a family address or something like that. She was probably their only chance to find out more about Joshua.

"Kono, I need to know if Natalie Tee left the island."

_"Okay, hold on."_ The Asian girl worked fast to get that information. _"No. She didn't leave.. Why?"_

"She didn't show up at work and she's not at her place," explained Steve.

_"Well.. I have the address of her mother and sister.. Maybe you could go there and ask some questions?"_

"Sounds good enough to me. Text me the address," he replied looking at his partner who was standing right in front of him. Danny was talking to the HPD - they would have so much work to do. Process three places, that wasn't something that happened that often.

When the little bip indicated he got the message, Steve hang up, thanking the girl one more time.

"HPD is sending a couple of cars," said Danny after he ended the phone call. "They're not very happy.."

"It's been a busy day," replied Steve as he walked back outside. "I got Natalie's mother and sister address. Which one we should go first?"

Danny's eyes widened. "Oh, you're letting me pick one? I'm flattered.. Let's talk to the mother."

"Mother?" asked Steve with both eyebrows raised.

"Yes. Mother. Trust me, parents always know about their kids."

Steve pouted while thinking. "Alright," he said agreeing with Danny.

The Jersey detective muttered an 'wow' as they walked back to his car that he rarely got to drive while on duty.

.

"So, will you tell me what's happening, or I'll have make your life hell on my quest for answers only to make it up to what's to come?" asked Danny once they were back on the car.

Steve looked at him, one eyebrow arched. "What are you talking about?"

"_What am I talking about?_ You know what I'm talking about.. You're not telling me everything about this case and, due to personal experience, it'll end up badly - and it might be for me, so start talking."

Steve had his eyes on the road and only glanced at Danny every now and then. "Seriously. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Of course Steve wasn't saying the truth and Danny knew that. He wasn't saying everything.

Ever since he walked into the Five-0 Headquarters a few hours ago, Danny noticed Steve's different behavior; he was showing intense signs of tension, far bigger than Danny ever noticed while working with Steve and that made him feel slightly rationally concerned. He needed to find out what was it that was bothering Steve that much, because every time his partner had this weird look in his face, things happened - usually bad or irrational things.

"You are a terrible liar, Steven. Terrible. What. Is. It? I am your partner. I have the right to know!"

He had been in Hawaii for what? An hour? Maybe two and they were already arguing. That was just like they roll.

"Look. I told you everything I know," said Steve; he had one hand on the steering wheel and the other was gesticulating at Danny. "Everything I've been told or found out, you know. But.."

"But..?" Danny cocked an eyebrow at Steve. "Tell me about this '_but_'."

Rubbing his face with the free hand, Steve told him about how he felt about Kate.

"You think she's in danger?"

"Her reaction to when she found out about Joshua Parker's real identity and when she found out the needle mark inside his navel, which is some sort of signature of the Australians, makes me believe she might be in danger," said Steve matter-of-factly, and Danny nodded. He understood that perfectly; he didn't want to see Kate getting hurt and, apparently, they were dealing with some very bad kind of people.

. . .

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><p><em>So, what are your thoughts on this story so far? Please, feel encouraged to share your opinions; feedback is greatly appreciated!<em> It would help me a lot to know what your thoughts are and if you have any critiques and stuff like that! Mahalo sailors! <em>  
><em>


	15. Chapter 15

**Aloha sailors!**

**Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who's still with me. I'll always appreciate every single one of you for making me not give up on this. So thank you. Very much.**

**Another chapter is here and, it might not be too much, I must admit it. But I'm doing my best, I swear. So if there's anything you want to tell, any suggestions, anything, please, feel encouraged to tell me! I very much appreciate it.**

**Thank you very much and I hope you enjoy!**

**And Nic, you're awesome. Love you.**

_Also, on a side note: This story has a plot and it might be long.. I'll eventually get to the romance part but I just thought I should let you know it. Thank you again.  
><em>

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><p><em>"And, Kate, the job is not the only thing that is important."<em>

_Kate didn't know how to respond to that, and, apparently, Chin wasn't expecting to hear something in response. Flashing her a smile, he drew his gun to check if it was loaded and stepped out of his SUV, followed immediately by the FBI agent._

.

They walked as stealthy as possible until they reached a big warehouse. To their surprise, the place had several subdivisions that seemed to be like garages, but both Kate and Chin knew they were deposits.

"Which one we're looking for?" asked Chin when they stopped at the entrance of the warehouse. He and Kate had lowered their weapons; if someone was there, they'd hear it because the place was dead quiet.

Taking the photo from her jeans back pocket, Kate checked for the deposit number.

"It says J607 here," said Kate showing Chin the words and numbers that were written with red ink.

Chin gave her a nod. Looking around, he considered their choices: they could either go after it, no warrant search, no backup, no nothing.. Or they could wait. Kate must have noticed something because she put the photo back in her pocket and the next thing Chin saw was the her back right in front of him and walking straight forward.

"Kate.. Kate!" Chin got to her with five long steps and reaching out for her forearm, he managed to stop her. "We should wait.. At least for backup."

"Look, Chin. I understand your concern, but there is no way I'll sit tight," she said firmly. Her watery grey eyes were now edging black onyx, and damn deep. "Not when it comes to this. You can wait if you want to.. I'll see what's in there." With a fluid movement, Kate let go of Chin's grip adding: "I take full responsibility for what's about to come," then, she walked determined to the deposit J607.

Chin shook his head weakly as a flashback of his Five-0 days crossed his mind and he instantly knew that Kate wouldn't back down.

"Wait," he said; making a short run, he reached her one more time. Chin was now walking by her side. Never in his life had he let a man alone, and he wouldn't start it now - especially with a woman (and it didn't matter the fact that she was one of the most stubborn and impulsive women he ever met).

They found the 'J607' deposit very quickly. Standing in front of the yellow gate that was keeping them outside, Kate turned to face Chin. "Thank you," she whispered looking deep in his dark eyes. She knew what he was thinking: '_This is stupid! Could you be more reckless? Why would you want to do something that impulsive? We should definitely wait for backup.._' but she couldn't wait. Not when she knew the possibilities - Kate knew who she was dealing with and it wasn't exactly a relieve. It was like having a ghost from her past returning to haunt her, so she was grateful when Chin didn't say anything.

"Don't mention it," he replied standing by her side.

Turning her attention back to the yellow gate, her eyes flew instantly to the huge padlock that was keeping the gate closed.

"Alright," she muttered as she searched for the two lockpic pieces she carried with her on her back pocket.

Kneeling in front of the yellow gate, Kate knew she had to let go of the Kevlar vest in order to get more mobility to work on the padlock.

"What are you doing?" said Chin startled when he saw she was taking her vest off. He wanted to say '_are you out of your freaking mind?_' and some other varieties of the same sentence but he was just too polite to do that.

"I can't work with this thing," Kate replied simply as she put the vest away. Chin frowned to that but that was all; he didn't say anything but had his attention doubled now.

Kate worked on the padlock and got it open quite fast. A grin of satisfaction appeared on her face when she took the large object from the gate, allowing her to pull the gate open; and she was about to do that when the sound of muffled footsteps caught their attention.

Kate put the padlock along with the thin objects she used to open it and reached for the gun she had placed on her thigh holster. Chin drew his gun immediately and positioned himself in front of Kate in order to provide her with some protection - she was now regretting her decision of taking the vest off.

They saw a figure moving their way and could see it was a guy who had Remington 1100, a tactical shotgun in 12 gauge; if he started shooting, things would get incredibly messy.

"Hey! HPD! Put the gun down. Now." The words came out of Chin's mouth automatically and when he heard the guy cocking his shotgun, he only had time to tell Kate to get down and take one step to his right towards the wall across the yellow gate that was the deposit they were after when the guy fired.

The shot missed them both but the guy had some advantage. Even though they all had a clean view of each other, Chin and Kate had to try to protect them first, while the only thing the shooter had in mind was to open fire against them.

"Thanks for making everything easier," said the guy as he got ready to fire again.

Judging by his strong accent, that guy was not from Hawaii, USA or anywhere nearby - he was from the other side of the globe. Australia. Super.

Kate was still on the ground when she noticed the guy was aiming straight to Chin's head. Not willing to bet if the guy was a sharp shooter, she rolled on the ground only so her abdomen was against the floor and not her back, and shot.

Her bullet hit the guy's shoulder and it made him fire against the warehouse's roof. He let out a growl that sounded like a wounded animal and it made Kate's heart rate increase in no time.

"You okay?" she asked Chin and he nodded. Great. But the guy was still standing.

Kate had hit his shoulder but he didn't seem to show signs of giving up - that was one hell of a tough guy. He had his gun ready to shoot again and this time, the target was Kate.

She was aiming at the man with Australian accent but Chin got him first. With a bullet through his chest, the guy fell on the ground.

Kate stood up as fast as a lightning and, running towards the guy, she instinctively kicked the shotgun away from him. He was still breathing, but she knew it was just a matter of time until it stopped.

"Who are you?" she yelled, holding him by his shirt. "Why are here?"

The man lying on the ground spilling blood just smiled sarcastically at her questions, and that pissed her off.

"I'm asking who the hell are you?" Even though it was useless, Kate drew her gun and pointed it straight to his face, aiming that spot between his eyes. She knew the guy was half dead but she had nothing to lose.

"Oh, please.. Shoot me." His voice was already failing and it was so difficult for him to talk that he chocked twice, making some drops of blood fall on her white shirt. "I beg.. you."

Kate felt an urge to finish that stupid bastard who opened fire against Chin and herself but, somehow, she managed to control herself. Letting go of her gun for a split second, she used her free hand to poke inside the bullet hole in his chest - the man howled with pain.

"Listen to me, you son of a bitch," said Kate calmly when he stopped screaming. "You're gonna tell me what the hell you're doing here," she poked it one more time and he howled once again, even louder than the first time. "And you'll do it now."

Chin found himself just watching. He decided that he didn't want to have Kate against him. Not ever.

The guy wasn't dead, but he wished he was. That woman was crazy. His breath was heavy due to the blood that was flooding to his lungs, and, even though he was already collapsing, he managed to gather all his strength he had left to say something.

"Yo.. You.. B-bitch," he muttered, and he still was able to put up a smile before his heart stopped beating, his brain stopped working and he stopped existing.

Kate didn't even have time to say or do anything when she heard gunshots coming from the outside. _What was that now?_

Chin reacted to that first. After telling Kate to stay there, he rushed towards the warehouse entrance. Not that he had hopes she would take his orders like that, but, it was automatic.

Of course she didn't hear what Chin said and, letting go of the dead man, she reached for her SIG-Sauer that was lying closely and followed his steps in no time.

"Do you ever listen what people say?" asked Chin when they reached the main entrance of the warehouse.

"I do," she replied simply, then added with a perky smile: "On occasion."

They had their back pressed against the cold wall when the sound of a car accelerating and burning the rubber made them step outside quickly. Kate noticed an officer down but the suspect to shot him was still close.

Instinctively, Kate and Chin emptied their guns shooting at the suspect's car - some bullets hit the maroon paint and Chin managed to hit a tire, but other than that, they didn't cause any major damages.

The place was suddenly dead quiet without the sound of the shootings and Kate and Chin ran towards the Officer who was still on the ground - he was breathing.

"Hey! Hey, I got you," she whispered as she put some pressure on his wound. There was a bullet on his vest and he was shot on his right shoulder. "Chin! He needs an ambulance!"

Chin was by her side and already on his phone; giving their location and requesting medical assistance and backup.

"They're coming," he announced after putting the phone back on his pocket. "Hey, Helms? Helms! Can you hear me?" Chin was now talking to the Officer in his blue uniform; the guy nodded. "Good. Help is coming. Hang in there."

Kate never let go of the guy, Officer Helms, not even for a second and kept applying pressure to his wound the whole time, oblivious to any other thing - she was no expert or doctor, but she knew that an important artery or vein happen to be located on the shoulder, so there was no way she could relieve the pressure. She also remembered him, from the Medical Examiner's Office - she almost ran over the guy and now he was there.. Damn, he was so young.

Kate was barely paying attention when Chin called her name twice.

"Kate!" He had to touch her upper arm in order to get her attention. "You're bleeding.."

"I'm fine," she said firmly and didn't flinch a tiny bit, even though, now that Chin mentioned, she felt her left side starting to bother her.

"You were shot! Let me see it."

"I said I'm fine, Chin. Just," she moved a little, switching the weight of he body to her left leg. "I'm okay."

Her major concern now Officer Helms on the ground. He was starting to shiver and that was not a good sign.

"Stay with me, Helms. Stay with me." If there was one part of her job that she hated was that one: when their colleagues got hurt. Sure Kate had never seen that Helms guy before, but he wore a uniform and took an oath to protect the country and the people, and that made them sort of like part of the same big family; she hated when people hurt her family. "What is your name, Helms?"

The guy was getting weak by the second and Kate could only wonder how long it would take to the ambulance get there.

"Tyler.. Ma'am. My name is Tyler Helms." Even his voice was showing signs of tiredness.

"Great. Tyler, I need you to hang on, okay? Help is on its way.. Just hang in there." Her hair was messy and it was falling on her face, so she tried to brush it back with her shoulder. When she made that move, she felt a sharp pain on her lowed abdomen and noticed Chin was right - she was hit, but it didn't seem to be anything bad, just a scratch maybe. "Alright, so.. Uh- how long have you been in the force, Tyler?"

Kate was focusing on keep the guy talking until the paramedics got there, and she made it. After a few random questions, the ambulance arrived along with two other police cars.

.

Officer Tyler Helms was about to get sedated when he asked for Kate. After he was stable, one of the paramedics was taking care of her injuries, and, just like she suspected, it was nothing serious and it was probably when she and Chin were surprised inside the warehouse.

"Thank you, ma'am."

Tyler's voice was still tired but now that he was being taken care of, he was better.

"Don't mention it.. You should to rest," said Kate as she sat by his side, inside the ambulance. "They'll take you to the hospital an-"

"Ma'am.." Tyler interrupted Kate and she stopped talking to hear whatever he wanted to say. "I shot the guy.."

"Sorry, what?" Kate's eyes went wide. Did she hear right? The second guy was hurt?

"I shot him. I hit his clavicle.. Or something.. I sh- I shot him, ma'am, I-"

At that moment, a paramedic appeared informing Officer Helms needed to rest and he'd sedate him. They could talk later.

"Alright," she said stepping out of the vehicle. "I'll talk to him later.. To what hospital you're taking him?"

"Hawaii Medical Center, but, ma'am.."

Kate knew exactly what was to come; they wanted her to go to the hospital and be properly examined by a doctor. Someone cleaned and put some bandages on her wound and she wasn't going anywhere. "I am fine. And I'm staying, so don't even waste your time. Go."

The guy was about to protest but she just turned her back to him and walked away to meet Chin. He was inside the warehouse, working with the other HPD Officers that answered to his backup request.

"Hey, I thought you were going to the hospital," said Chin when he heard footsteps coming towards him.

Kate felt eyes on her, and when she looked at her white shirt, she understood why their faces - she looked like death. There were blood stains all over her shirt and jeans, not to mention that her gun was also bloody.

"Yeah," she said with a shrug. "Not today.. Find anything on the deposit?"

Chin seemed to be the only person who didn't stare at her dreadful look. "Let's check it," he replied while walking to the yellow gate that was still closed. "We didn't open yet.."

Kate didn't need a formal invitation to open it, but what she saw there was a huge disappointment - it was completely empty.

"Well, that's frustrating," she said with a sigh. Her shoulders dropped a little as she put her hands on her waist. After a short while, Kate walked into the deposit that almost got an Officer killed.

"Tell me about it," agreed Chin, meeting her in the middle of the empty place.

"So, how about the dead body out there," she made a movement with her head, indicating the shooter right outside.

"My people is checking his fingerprint. We might have the results in a while."

"Good.. let me know when you find something," asked Kate as she walked out of the deposit.

"Going somewhere?" Chin was concerned about her; she seemed to be pretty damn angry with the shooting and when Officer Helms was shot, the expression in her face was something he'd never seen - she was relentless, not willing to let him die. That sort of thing could be a blessing, but it could also be a curse.

"Just gonna make a phone call," she said showing him her phone.

.

"I'd like to speak with Thomas Hillborne."

_"I'm sorry, Miss, but Mr Hillborne is busy at the moment..."_

"Tell him it's Catherine Taylor."

_"Ma'am, I really don't-"_

"**Just** **do it**."

Kate didn't mean to be that harsh with the woman on the other side, but she wasn't expecting a secretary - or whatever she was - to answer his personal number.

With a bitter '_alright_', the woman went after Thomas Hillborne. Kate could tell it because she could hear the sound of heels against the marble floor. She also overheard a knock on a door and how the woman called for the man shyly.

_"Sir.. There's someone who wants to talk to you."_ The woman's voice wasn't much louder than a whisper.

_"Mrs. Kelsey, I thought I asked you to write my messages."_

Kate almost felt sorry for Mrs. Kelsey. Even though Thomas Hillborne's voice was calm and low, she knew the man could be very intimidating.

_"I'm sorry, Sir. But this woman, Catherine Taylor, she insisted and I-"_

_"Taylor? Give me the phone."_ A grin appeared on Kate's face when she heard the familiar low, deep and husky voice of Thomas Hillborne - her former boss. _"Haven't heard of you in a while, Catherine.."_

"Sorry about that. I've been a little busy.."

_"I'm glad to hear that. I was beginning to wonder if you were avoiding your old agency."_

"I would never do such thing, Hillborne. You know it."

_"Yeah, yeah.. I know it,"_ the man agreed. He noticed Kate's tone - it was soft and joyful, but he could also sense signs of tension._ "I also know that you don't call me by my last name unless something is very wrong.. What is it, Taylor?"_

With a deep and long breath, Kate told him about the Australians, and braced herself for whatever that was to come.

.

By the time she ended her call, she noticed Steve had called her. Just waiting a second to organize her thoughts, she pressed the green button, calling him back.

_"McGarrett."_

He answered almost immediately, and she couldn't help the feeling that spread over her body when she heard his voice.

"Steve, it's me."

_"Kate! Finally. I've been trying to talk to you for a while now.."_ The concern in his voice shouldn't make her heart skip a beat but it did.

"Sorry, I was a little busy.. Did you find anything?"

Kate tried her best to sound casual, even though she was still shaking a little due to recent events.

_"Yeah,"_ replied Steve. _"Kono found out the victim had a girlfriend, so Danny and I are going to talk to her."_

"Oh, Danny is back.. That's good news."

"Hey, Kate.."

Danny's voice came out and she opened a small smile. "Hey Dan! Nice hearing from you," she replied with a little more joy. "So, other than that, find what was on the memory card?"

_"Turns out Joshua Parker didn't let go of his old identity. He was still investigating the Australians; it was all encrypted, what means he didn't want people to find out about it. There were images, notes and a large file. I didn't get to see it all in detail but Kono is on it. We might have an idea very soon.. How about you?"_

"Well," said Kate a lot discouraged. "We found nothing. The place is clean. The HPD will process the place, but.." Kate made a short pause, and with a deep breath, she continued, her voice a somewhat lower. "I don't know if they'll find anything.."

_"Alright.. We'll talk to Natalie now, then we'll meet you at the HQ."_

"Actually.. I have to do something first and I'm not sure how long it will take," she replied; her voice sounded a bit apprehensive. "But I'll talk to you as soon as possible."

_"Something's wrong?"_ The worry that was starting to grow in his voice made her bit her lower lip - she wanted to talk to him, about so many things, but not through the phone, and not now. Now she needed to focus on the job. Maybe later.

"No.. Everything's fine. I'll meet you there."

_"One last thing,"_ said Steve quickly before she could end the phone call. _"We got two hits on the Interpol with the Australian passports that came to Hawaii; George Ackleman and James White."_

Kate remained silent for quite a long while as she tried to think if she ever heard those names - they didn't ring a bell, but the fact that they were on the Interpol database could mean something and she was betting she'd find more information about it.

_"Kate, you still there?"_

"Yeah," she replied quickly. "I was trying to remember if those names were familiar, but I don't think they are.. Look, I gotta go now. Good luck."

As soon as she pressed end, Kate noticed Chin had his eyes on her, so she went meeting him.

"We got a positive ID with his fingerprint," Chin said calmly when she stopped by his side. "Interpol. His name is George Ackleman and his criminal record includes extortion, coercion and murder."

"Ackleman," muttered Kate. That was the same guy Steve just told her. Maybe the second shooter, the one who got away, was James White.

"He's Australian," informed Chin, his eyes locked on hers.

"So I heard," she said and felt Chin's eyes quietly interrogating her. "I just spoke with Steve. He said Kono got two hits on the Interpol. One is our dead guy, George Ackleman, the second is James White."

"You think White is the guy who shot Helms?"

Kate ran her hands through her hair. It was a possibility, but she couldn't tell for sure. "What do you think?" she gave him the question back. She did that when she had no answers to give.

"I think it's a start."

Kate allowed herself to smile. "I like that thought." Chin wasn't exactly an optimistic fool, but he knew how to keep people motivated and that was more than she could ask for.

Chin gave her a reassuring smile and was about to leave her alone when she stopped him.

"Hey Chin," said Kate suddenly. "There's something I have to do.. but I need a ride."

Kate was deeply bothered with the absence of wheels. Back in DC she always used the Bureau SUVs, but over there..

She has been saving for a car and maybe that was the time.

"Sure," he said quickly. "Just hold on a second and I'll drive you."

"Thanks.."

.

While sitting on the passenger seat of Chin's SUV, Kate couldn't help but go through the conversation she had with Hillborne earlier.

She was told that there was someone that could help them with the Australians; the only problem was, he was an _old friend_.. and she wasn't particularly excited with the possibility of a reunion.

Chin must have noticed the distraught in her appearance because he pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Is everything okay?"

"What? Yeah.. Yeah, everything's fine, I was just.." Kate switched on the seat, making Chin doubt she was telling the truth. "You remember what I told you? About my little adventure in Australia?"

"Yes," he said with a nod. Chin was driving but he kept turning his eyes to Kate every now and then.

"I learned that there is someone who might help us figure out what's happening here," said Kate with a very serious tone of voice. Chin didn't quite understand what exactly she was saying, but she continued. "I met him before joining the Bureau, and I just heard he's working under cover.. But I am so not sure about it.."

"Why?" asked Chin confused. "You don't trust him?"

"No, I trust him. It's just.. things aren't that simple."

Chin didn't even need to ask. When things were complicated, it most likely was one out of two things: feelings or emotions.

It was either personal or something happened in the middle and it messed up, like bad decisions or unexpected outcomes.

"So, where are we going?" he asked, changing the subject to something he was curious about and to avoid any awkward moments.

"Well, first I need to change," said Kate as she looked at her clothes again - she looked like some butcher, or like a serial killer, like Dexter, after he works on the victim.

"Okay.. So, where are you staying?"

"Steve's place," said Kate calmly, and Chin turned to face her. She didn't look back at him, but could feel his eyes locked on her left profile as a smile started to play with his lips. "It's not what you think," she said defensively when she couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"I'm not thinking anything," said Chin with a shrug.

"Yeah, right."

Chin smiled inwardly as he turned to face the road again - how could those two be so blind?

.

"I'll wait in the car," said Chin once he parked in front of Steve's house. Kate nodded and left the vehicle; with fast and determined steps, she reached the door.

Kate didn't have the keys so she prayed that Mary was still there and knocked on the door.

She was well aware of her dreadful appearance, but Mary wasn't. When the blonde opened the door, her eyes went wide open and her mouth dropped open.

"Oh my God, are you alright?"

"I'm fi-" Kate tried to answer the question but Mary kept going as she pulled her inside.

"What happened to you? Whose blood is that?"

Kate had opened her mouth to answer when she noticed they weren't alone. A brunette woman was standing next to the stair. She wasn't there when she got into the house so Kate could only imagine that she was upstairs.

"Uh- I'm alright, Mary.. I just.."

Mary followed Kate's eyes and realized why she had a confused expression in her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry.. Uh- Kate, this is Cath," she said pointing to the woman by the stairs. "Cath, this is Kate."

Cath should be Catherine, the woman who talked to Steve on the phone earlier that day and the one she heard about through Mary Ann.

Kate suddenly felt a lump in her throat, and, regardless of her efforts to swallow it, it didn't seem to vanish. That was an awkward situation for Catherine Arizona Taylor.

. . .

* * *

><p><em>So, what are your thoughts on this story so far? The review button is right below this lines so feel encouraged to share your opinions; feedback is greatly appreciated!<em> It would help me a lot to know what your thoughts are and if you have any critiques and stuff like that! Mahalo sailors! <em>_


	16. Chapter 16

**Aloha sailors!**

**Thank you, so very much, everyone who's reading this. I appreciate every single one of you guys! Special thank you to the lovely people that take some time to review this story. Nic and Amy, you two are amazing!**

**Another chapter is here and again, it might not be too much, I admit it, but I'm doing my best, I promise. So if there's anything you want to tell, any suggestions, anything, please, feel encouraged to tell me! I very much appreciate it.**

**Thank you very much and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Shortly after Steve stormed out of the Five-0 Headquarter followed closely by Danny, Cath Rollins decided there was nothing else she could do over there, so she said goodbye to Kono and left. The Navy Lieutenant was on her way to her own place, but decided to stop by at Steve's house - she thought it would be nice to apologize to Mary Ann, after all, showing up at one's door and leaving without a word isn't exactly the most polite behavior.<p>

She was still at his place and had even showered and changed when someone knocked on the door and it was followed by a quite desperate reaction of Mary Ann.

_"Oh my God, are you alright? What happened to you? Whose blood is that?"_

Cath flew downstairs and what she saw was nothing she was expecting for; she was expecting to find Steve there, but instead, there was a woman.

The female visitor was quite tall, had a pretty long auburn curly hair and her skin was incredibly pale; even though Cath herself wasn't that tanned, that woman seemed to be from England, Scandinavia or some place where the sun rarely appears. She had the looks of a porcelain doll and was definitely not Hawaiian. Cath could only wonder who she was and why she was there. And covered in blood.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Mary must have noticed she was there - probably following her eyes, that were locked on Cath. "Uh- Kate, this is Cath.. Cath, this is Kate."

It didn't take Cath over a few seconds to realize that should be the Kate girl Steve was trying to talk to.

"Catherine Rollins," said Cath taking a step forward and offering her a hand.

Kate had to get past the awkwardness of the situation. "Catherine Taylor," she answered, shaking her hand, with a half smile on her face. "Nice meeting you."

"I'm sorry, girls," interrupted Mary with the scared look in her eyes. "But, what happened to you?" Suddenly, her eyes widened and her voice raised a note. "Is Steve alright?"

It was mean, but Kate was sort of thankful for Mary and her concern towards her brother, because, honestly, Kate didn't know how to deal with the presence of Cath there.

"Calm down, Mary. I got into.. something, but your brother wasn't there, so I believe Steve is fine," said Kate trying to calm the young McGarrett's nerves. "Relax, okay?" She squeezed her upper arm to show her she meant that. "Don't worry."

"Alright.."

"Good.. I need to get some stuff and get back to work." Looking at Mary one last time to make sure she was alright. "Everything is fine, Mary," promised Kate, smiling at her before making her way upstairs. She needed clean clothes and a shower, and she needed it fast.

.

Kate walked into Steve's bedroom and found her baggage still there, exactly where she had left. She felt a mix of emotions taking over her body just by walking into that room.

The scent of Steve hit her with no mercy and a vague smile ghosted over her lips while she gave in to the warm sensation that was taking over her body.. but then, the image of Catherine Rollins standing by the stair dominated her brain and her mind and she felt something that she wasn't used to and didn't like; she felt threatened.

Blinking and breathing in and out, Kate tried to put those thoughts aside - she wasn't willing to go through anything else. She had admitted to herself she had feelings for Steve, but she wasn't ready to find out how deep those were, at least not yet. And even though she knew she'd have to face Cath and Steve and even her own feelings sooner or later, she had hopes it would happen later. It was a little too soon, she knew that, but she would not back down; she just needed some time to clear her mind and get used to the idea, that was all.

So, taking some clothes from her bag without really seeing it, Kate walked inside Steve's bathroom to have a quick shower, after all, Chin was out there, waiting.

Kate tried not to think about anything and just get rid of the blood. Talking about blood, she finally brought herself to check the injury on her abdomen. It wasn't serious as a through and through, but it was a damn bad and nasty scratch; it was almost as large as her hand, and when the water touched it and she felt it burn her soul, Kate noticed how careless she had been, even lucky if she believed in such thing.

She got out of the shower and put the clothes she had picked – a skinny jeans and an olive green tank top - and she realized she would definitely need to stop at a pharmacy or something like it to buy clean bandages. Kate had just left the bathroom and was checking her phone when she noticed someone standing by the door.

"You got yourself a bad injury," Cath said as she walked into the room with small steps.

"Oh, this.." Kate noticed she kept her abdomen uncovered, and pulled the top down - she regretted it as soon as the fabric touched her tender skin. "It was nothing," she replied with a shrug, while touching where the guy hit her. It was burning, but she could bear it. She would bear it.

"He was worried about you," said Cath and Kate turned to face her. "Steve.."

"I don't think it was that," Kate replied simply as she checked her gun - a fail attempt to ignore the unpleasant feeling that was starting to engulf her. "I think he just didn't like to leave the field."

"Well.. Maybe." Cath chuckled and Kate smiled. "But I'm sure he was concerned..."

"Unnecessary," said Kate feeling a little uncomfortable.

Cath didn't say a thing about that. She was feeling as awkward as the other Catherine; and the fact that they were standing in the middle of Steve's room was even weirder.

"So, you work for the FBI?"

"Yeah," Kate nodded. "Yes, I do.. How do you know?"

"Well, this is an island.. And I was at the Five-0 headquarters.."

"Oh, right," said Kate with a smile. The two women were looking at each other when Kate's phone went off; she looked at it and saw it was a text message. Without reading it, she thanked God quietly. "I'm sorry but I really need to go." Quickly getting everything she needed like her guns, ID badge, wallet and a leather jacket, she turned to face Cath once again when she reached the door. "It was really nice meeting you, Catherine."

Cath didn't even have time to reply and Kate was already flying to the door. Mary heard the loud thumps on the stairs and went to check what was it about, but the only thing she saw was the long auburn hair pulled on a ponytail as Kate ran through the front door.

.

After Kate's sudden departure, Cath went downstairs and joined Mary who was sitting on the sofa. They remained quiet for a long minute, until Mary decided to break the ice.

"Want a beer?"

Cath accepted that offer in a heartbeat. A beer would be nice. It would help her stop thinking so much about Catherine Taylor. And Steve.

**xxx**

"I gotta go to the Hilton," announced Kate as soon as she occupied the passenger seat on Chin's car.

"Okay," he agreed and started the engine. A moment later, he gave in to the curiosity. "If you don't mind my asking, why do you have to go there?"

"There's someone I need to see," she replied, not particularly excited.

Chin just gave her a nod; he was almost sure it was about the person who could help them because she was as tense as when she mentioned him - if not more.

Their ride to the Hilton wasn't filled with many conversations. Ever since she receive that text message from Thomas Hillborne, saying he had arranged a meeting with the guy who could provide information about the Australians, Kate had been trying to organize her thoughts and she thanked God for Chin; he didn't force any talks nor started an interrogation about it. He was such a reserved and respectful person and Kate was grateful it was Chin who was with her and not Danny, or Steve. She was willing to bet that if she was with any of them, she'd be answering loads of questions. Or trying to avoid them.

"Here we are," Chin said after killing the engine in front of the hotel. "The Hilton."

Kate looked at the beautiful entrance and took a deep breath.

"Thanks Chin," she said before stepping out of his vehicle.

"Wait." He understood what she was saying, and it was goodbye. "Don't you think it would be better to go there with someone else? You know, backup.. just in case?"

"It's not necessary," said Kate with a smile. Even though she was quite shaken on the inside, it had nothing to do with a possible threat. "I'm at a hotel, it's not like I'm on a desert place." Kate addressed Chin a reassuring look; she also showed him the gun she had on the holster underneath the black leather jacket, just so he could relax a little. She wasn't going in there completely vulnerable. "I'll be fine."

"Alright," he said, knowing that she wasn't wrong; a hotel, especially the Hilton, wasn't a place for any conflicts. Also, if it was really about the possible informant, she would probably do better alone. "Call me if you need anything."

"Yes, sir," replied Kate playfully. With a look that said '_thank you_', she turned her back to the car and walked to her meeting.

**xxx**

"Mrs. Tee, my name is Steve McGarrett, Five-0.. Do you know where I can find your daughter, Natalie?"

Steve and Danny went to see Natalie's mother, in hopes that she could tell help them finding the only person who could hold any helpful information.

"Why the Five-0s are after Nat?"

Danny noticed that Mrs. Tee was a little apprehensive and decided to intervene - not that he didn't believe Steve could talk to her and not cause the old lady a heart attack, just because he thought he should talk to her.

"We're not after your daughter, ma'am," explained the blonde detective calmly. "We just want to talk to her. Maybe she can help us, that's all."

The old woman still glanced at Steve one last time before allowing them inside. Truth was, sometimes, Steve McGarrett didn't need to open his mouth to give people the impression that he was not a friendly cop, even though he wasn't exactly a cop.

"Wait a second, please," she said before disappearing through a corridor and behind a door. It didn't took a minute and she was back with Natalie.

"My mom said you want to talk to me."

Natalie was a woman with Asian features, slender body and approximately Danny's height. Even though she was a pretty woman, she seemed exhausted, like she didn't have enough sleep.

"Yeah," said Danny with a small movement of his head.

"Please." Natalie indicated the sofa so Danny and Steve could sit, and the two Five-0s thanked with a nod. "This is about Josh, isn't it?"

Steve and Danny looked at each other; her question told them she knew something.

"Yes, Miss Tee," admitted Danny. He had his elbows resting on his knees as his hands kept moving. "When was the last time you spoke with - uh.. Joshua Parker?"

Natalie switched on the armchair she was sitting. "About five days ago.. He asked me to clean that storage.."

The storage she mentioned should be the deposit that Chin and Kate went checking; no wonder it was empty.

"Miss Tee, what was in that storage?" Steve moved and was now sitting on the edge of the sofa.

"Nothing much.. There were just some boxes, a laptop and an portable external hard drive.."

"Ma'am, we're gonna need everything." Steve's ask didn't sound as friendly and harmless as it was expected, causing Natalie to realize that something was wrong.

"Wait, what's this about?" Her eyes scanned Danny and Steve's face and suddenly, it hit her. "Where is Josh? Where is he?"

That was the worst part of the job: to announce someone's death. Usually, it wasn't necessary to say the words, but just because they didn't actually need to voice it, it didn't mean things weren't easier. It was never easy.

"Where is Josh?" Natalie's voice went louder and she tried to reach the phone that was by her side but her shaking hands made the simple act of grabbing a phone and dialing a number as hard as climbing the Everest.

Danny and Steve exchanged a look and, when Steve's phone rang, Danny nodded with his head.

"Go ahead," he said looking at Steve who had his phone in his hand. "I'll handle this."

Steve agreed with his head and, muttering his excuses, he took a few steps away from his partner, who was trying to comfort the sobbing woman on the armchair.

"Kono."

_"I went through the entire file you brought on the Memory Card and I have good news and bad news, what do you want to hear first?"_

"What's the bad news?"

_"Bad news is that the Australians are planning something here in Hawaii but I can't tell precisely what is it because there are lots of different things mentioned in this file."_

Steve rubbed his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay. We may have something else to work with.. Now, what's the good news?"

_"Judging by the content of this device you brought from the victim's house, I don't think Kate is a target."_

Hearing those words, it made Steve shut his eyes closed and thanked God and whoever would hear his silent prayer. He also took a deep breath. Sure they still needed to find out what the Australians were planning, but knowing that Kate wasn't in eminent danger made him and his heart feel a lot lighter.

"That's great news," said Steve; he was a lot relieved.

_"Yeah, I know.. But there's something else. It took me a while because I went seeing Dr Bergman. He was after you but I thought you'd be busy so I went there."_

"What did he want?"

_"He just had the test results,"_ said Kono a teensy bit annoyed. _"Cause of death confirmed. Our vic died due to poisoning; stone fish venom."_ The results came only to verify and reinforce what they already knew.

"Alright.. Danny and I will be back as soon as possible, hopefully with more information to work on. Good job Kono."

Steve hung up and after a brief moment, he turned his attention back to his partner and Natalie. She was a somewhat calm now but the shock of the loss still written all over her face, along with the glistening track of tears on her cheeks.

He noticed when the wrecked woman nodded and, whispering something to Danny, she stood up and left them alone for a while.

"She's gonna give us what she took from the deposit," explained Danny when Steve approached. He just nodded after hearing Danny's words; there wasn't much to say.

A minute later, Natalie returned carrying two boxes. Steve hurried to help her, taking the boxes from her hands.

"Thanks," muttered Natalie crossing her arms in front of her chest like she was trying to hold herself together. Her voice still weak and very emotional. "The laptop and the hard drive are inside.."

"Thank you," said Danny softly. Natalie brushed a tear away.

"Just.. I hope you can get whoever did this to Josh.." Her voice failed when she said his name and more tears came to her eyes.

"We will, ma'am," Steve promised before leaving.

**xxx**

"Hey Kono," called Steve as he walked into the Five-0 headquarters with Danny and the box of evidence he got with the victim's girlfriend, Natalie. "We got something for you."

Kono was at her office, going through some papers when she heard her name being called. She quickly put it aside to meet with the guys.

"Oh, how sweet. You shouldn't have." She said with a perky smile while reaching for one of the boxes. "Wow.. Looks like Danny is not the only one with technology issues," Kono added while checking the huge amount of papers inside the box.

"Hey, I do not have technology issues," protested Danny and Kono just stared at him, clearly amused.

"I think you can start with these," said Steve taking the laptop and the portable external hard drive out of the box he was checking. "Danny and I can take a look at these papers.."

Danny sighed. "I hate this thing.."

Steve chuckled mildly. He didn't like that either; they were men of action and being stuck in the office wasn't their favorite thing to do - but it needed to be done, and knowing the content of those papers and everything else was very important.

.

They were going through the papers for the past hour or so; it had so many things - and things from 2003.

"Why was it so hard for this guy to let go of his past?" asked Danny when he put another paper on the '2004' pile. They decided to put them together according to the year. Thankfully, Marshall O'Hanlin was an organized person. "I mean, it got him on the witness protection! Why would he hold onto something that put his life in danger once?"

Switching on the chair, Steve thought about it for a second. "From where I stand, being a journalist was what defined him. You can't just tell a man to let go of himself."

"Well, he's dead now, so.." Danny looked at Steve and noticed he had this thoughtful expression in his eyes. He also noticed something else, and it made him add: "Sometimes, letting go isn't a sign of weakness.. Au contraire."

Steve was too caught up with his own thoughts but he registered what Danny had said. Blinking a couple of time, he raised his eyes to meet his partner's after a short while.

"_Au contraire_?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Why do I even bother?"

Steve flashed Danny a half smile and turned his attention back to the papers that were left. He wished there were more people so they could go through those faster - Chin's presence was dearly missed, just like Kate's.

When that thought crossed his head, Steve checked his watch and noticed it was now 4:27 pm; it's been over two hours since he last spoke with Kate. She said she had something else to do and was meeting them later. True that Kono said she doubted that Kate was a target, but having her out of his sight wasn't exactly cheerful.

Steve reached for his phone and wondered whether he should call her or not.

He decided not and called Chin instead. He was wondering if the HPD found something while processing the deposit, and maybe he had news on Kate's whereabouts.

_"McGarrett?"_

"Hey Chin," greeted Steve and he noticed Danny's eyes suddenly locked on him. Addressing his partner a questioning look, Steve continued with his conversation. "Can you talk?"

_"Sure, what's up?"_

"I was wondering if you find anything on the deposit?"

_"No, nothing. The place was clean, except for some fingerprints we found on the padlock and on the gate; they were the same but didn't provide us any ID.."_

"My guess is that they belonged to the victim's girlfriend. We just talked to her.."

_"We?"_

"Me and Danny," explained Steve. Danny had given up on trying figuring out what the two men were talking about.

_"Oh, right.."_

"So, anything else?"

_"Well, besides that fingerprint and the dead shooter, we have nothing."_

Steve, who had his back pressed to the back of the chair comfortable, almost jumped out of the piece of furniture when he heard that. "Wait.. What shooter?"

Danny's hands froze at McGarrett's words. Shooter? Was there a shooting? Where? Why? How? His eyes started scanning his partner's face and there was only one thing he was seeing: worry.

"What's going on?" asked Danny, but Steve just shushed him with his hand.

_"Oh my.. Kate didn't tell you, did she?"_ Chin felt he had spoke too much.

"No, she didn't," Steve replied using a calm tone of voice that wasn't comforting at all. "But you are going to. What shooter, Chin?"

_"We had a situation here.. It involved a guy with a shotgun, and he opened fire at us, __**but we're good**__."_ Chin put some emphasis on the last sentence because, knowing Steve as he knew, it wouldn't surprise him if he lost his temper or tried to do something about it. _"No one died but the shooter."_

"Did anyone get hurt?" Steve was sitting on the edge of his chair and had his elbows on the table, waiting not so patiently for Chin's answer.

That was the question Chin was praying he didn't ask. He didn't want to lie but telling the truth wasn't exactly necessary. No one died, at least no one who was good, that should be good enough, right?

_"An Officer was sent to the hospital, but he'll live."_ That wasn't exactly a lie, so he thought it was alright. In any case, he changed the subject back to something he thought Steve would be more interested - and he'd be more comfortable talking about. _"The guy who opened fire against us, Kate mentioned that Kono IDed him, Interpol database.. His name is George Ackleman."_

"What about White? Kono IDed two men, one was Ackleman, the other was White."

_"There was someone else outside,"_ informed Chin. Even though they weren't part of the same team for now, he wouldn't keep any information from Steve - except, you know, for the little detail about Kate's injury._ "But he escaped. We don't know if it was James White."_

Steve, who was sitting on the edge of his chair, stood up. It was too uncomfortable for him to just sit there. Running his fingers through his hair, he cursed himself for agreeing with Kate's crazy idea. He should have stayed with Chin Ho, and she should be the one to take the goddamned memory card back to Kono. Not because she was a woman - Steve wasn't the kind of guy to use gender to delegate tasks - but because he couldn't stand the idea of having someone from his team getting hurt. Or get very close to it.

Danny, who couldn't do nothing but watch because whatever question he asked was always ignored by his partner, was starting to get really nervous when he saw Steve pacing through the room. What the hell happened? He was totally in the dark; he had no idea what happened or why they were talking about White, and Ackleman.. He was clueless. And he hated that.

"Is that everything?" Everything. It was more than enough to Steve and he would not know if there was more.

_"Yeah, for now, that's all."_

He finally stopped pacing. Rubbing his face with his free hand, he took a deep breath. "Okay. Thanks Chin.. Let me know if you find anything else."

_"No problem."_

"Hey Chin!" Steve raised his voice a little, hoping the man didn't hang up. Lucky enough, he didn't.

_"Yes?"_

"Any idea where Kate is? She said she'd meet us but she didn't show up yet.."

_"Well, I took her to the Hilton.."_

"The Hilton? What would she do there?"

Once again, Chin didn't know how to respond to that. He was aware of the fact that there were things about Kate that Steve still didn't know.. And it wasn't up to him to tell him.

_"I don't know, I didn't ask much.. but I think she went seeing someone, a friend."_ Again, he wasn't lying, but the guilty feeling that started to spread through his body and that concentrated on his shoulders were giving him the impression that he was doing something bad.

"Oh." Steve let out that in surprise. His mind was quickly working on any possible threats or worst case scenarios when he remembered Rear Admiral Reynolds. Maybe she went seeing him. "Alright. Uh- thanks for letting me know," replied Steve.

_"Sure. Look, I gotta go now. I'll call you if I have any information. And don't worry about Kate,"_ he added. _"She can take care of herself."_ Even though Chin was worried about the woman himself, he thought he should say something like that.

"I know. Once again, thanks Chin."

And then Steve hang up. That phone call didn't go exactly as he imagined but he knew two things: first, Kate was at the Hilton. He had no idea what she was doing there, but he was a somewhat glad to know her whereabouts and a hotel, especially the Hilton, was a crowded place, so he could relax a little. And second: George Ackleman was dead. And it was one hell of a comfort; he doubted that they would get any information with them so, one down was actually very good. Now they just needed to find out what the other guy is after so they could deal with him as well.

"Hey! HEY! Listen to me, I am talking to you!" Danny's voice brought Steve back to Earth. "Yes, you. Would you please tell me what the hell was that all about?"

Looking at him, Steve noticed his face was twitched with frustration, worry, concern and so many other things he couldn't distinguish. Running his hands through his hair and face one last time, he started telling him about the phone call and the huge load of information he just got.

**xxx**

Kate had walked into the hotel.

"I'm here to see Mr. Cahill," she announced to the woman behind the great balcony made of maple. "I'm Catherine Taylor," she added, showing the woman her driver's license. There was no need for the FBI badge.

"Of course," said the woman with a smile. "Would you follow me?"

With a smile and a nod, Kate followed the woman to the pool. There were lots and lots of people in that area and Kate felt relieved.

Still walking behind the lady who was leading the way, Kate's eyes scanned the whole place, trying to catch a glimpse of the man she went seeing. And when she stopped and made a movement with her hand pointing a table, Kate's heart rate increased against her will.

She couldn't see the man's face, only his back, but she knew it was him. Thanking the woman with a smile, she found herself breathing in and out a couple of times before walking towards him. Kate passed by his side and occupied the chair directly in front of the man.

"Hello, Christopher."

Christopher Cahill, the man she was there to see, had his sunglasses on and was casually drinking a Blue Hawaii; putting the drink down, he flashed her a killer smile before taking the glasses off.

"Hello, Catherine. It is lovely seeing you again."

. . .

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><p><em>So, what are your thoughts on this story so far? The review button is right below these lines so feel encouraged to share your opinions; feedback is greatly appreciated!<em> It would help me a lot to know what your thoughts are and if you have any critiques and stuff like that! Mahalo everyone!<em>_


	17. Chapter 17

**Aloha sailors! **

**Like always, I'd like to thank everyone who's with me. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement, it means a lot to me! And because I can't not mention my inspiration, lots of kisses and big hugs to **_Nicole_** for her unconditinal support and help!  
><strong>

**Originaly, this chapter was a lot longer, but I decided it would work better if I split it in two; so I'd like to apologize in advance if it's not that good.. In any case, hope you guys enjoy it! **

* * *

><p><em>"Hello, Catherine. It is lovely seeing you again."<em>

.

Christopher Cahill didn't let go of his smile not even for a second and Kate found herself staring at him.

Cahill was a very handsome man. His blonde hair, strong jaw line, piercing blue eyes, reddish lips along with his white smile and perfect skin were a distraction for any women in the world, and Kate, being a part of that population, couldn't not admire that man. But, for some reason, his charm didn't work like it used to; not this time.

"It's been a while," she said calmly.

"Seven years? I'd say it's been more than just a while."

His voice with subtle yet very present hints of an accent didn't go unnoticed, and Kate wondered for how long he was involved with that job.

"I suppose you can say that," she said with a smile that wasn't exactly humorous.

Christopher had his eyes fixed on hers and she felt a little bit vulnerable. Maybe it was because the memories of their last argument returned and were very vivid, or maybe it was because she still felt her abdomen hurting, causing her to face how close to be seriously hurt she got.

"So, to what do I owe this honor," asked Christopher as he took another sip of his blue drink. "And pleasure?"

Kate shifted her gaze to the desk and her hands for a very short while. "Don't do it," she said bringing her eyes up like that small interruption never happened. "It won't work." There were no tricks or white lies on her words and body language.

Christopher found himself smiling in amusement. "You haven't changed, Kate.."

"I could say the same about you, Christopher." If someone who was around was asked, the person could tell they were one step closer to get physical, and not in a good way. But, even though they've been apart for too long, they knew each other well enough to tell the difference between threat and tease - and it was no threat.

"Christopher?" He said with a surprised expression. "Are we being formal now?"

Kate rolled her eyes. She really didn't miss that side of him. "Can we please talk about why we're here? It's really important, Chris."

Cahill's expression changed from playful to serious; it matched Kate's perfectly. Suddenly, the pool of the Hilton Hawaiian Village didn't seem to be the best place for that conversation to happen.

"Want go some place else?" asked Cahill mildly, but Kate waved off that offer almost instantly.

"I'm good here," she said firmly.

Christopher's eyes scanned her expression and it was like they were twenty something again. The look in her eyes, the defensive posture, even the doubts and the shaken trust were exactly the same from seven years ago. "I don't think I ever said it.. I'm sorry, Kate.."

Kate brought herself to look somewhere else; she wasn't really seeing anything, she just wanted to avoid his eyes.

"It's not necess-" She began to say something after a pause but he raised his hand, making her stop.

"Not necessary? Kate, I remember the last time we saw each other, and the look in your eyes back then.. It matches perfectly the one I'm seeing right now." Chris had his eyes fixed on Kate, even though she insisted in looking away. "I'm sorry," he said taking her hands in his and making her look at him.

Kate's heart skipped a beat. She had been avoiding that subject, even the simple thought of it for a long while; she lost countless nights of sleep over that, and there it was.

.

Nine years ago, before joining the Bureau, Catherine Taylor was a twenty two years old woman wearing the blue uniform in DC. After four years working as a police officer, she was given the opportunity to work with the Interpol, and she accepted it in a heartbeat.

For the next three years or so, Thomas Hillborne was her boss and she was part of his team. Even though Christopher Cahill wasn't from the same team, they worked together every now and then so they knew enough about each other.

Kate and Chris weren't exactly friends, but they were very close colleagues. Because of their job, they trusted and were comfortable around each other. Also, because of their good chemistry, they hang out together occasionally, and it made people wondered if they were together _together_ - they were not.

Thinks between them were fine.. until the last time they worked together once. Australia.

.

"Kate? Kate!" Chris called her name for over three times until she noticed it.

"Yes," she said suddenly, blinking a couple of times as she pushed the memories aside for a while. "Sorry, I was.. uh- thinking." Kate's voice failed and it didn't go unnoticed. Chris breathed out heavily. He knew what she had been thinking about.

Silence fell upon them both as their minds drifted to the same memory that belonged in their past.

.

Kate had been assigned to that god forsaken work in Australia about two years after she had joined the Interpol. She was only twenty four but had proven over and over how useful and helpful she could be.

She wasn't the best agent of the agency, but her keen mind and special abilities combined with her loyalty and liability, qualified her to the job.

By that time, Kate had helped the international police to bring down many bad guys and she was pretty good at it, so she was sent to the other side of the world to do what she did best.

For this job in particular, she wouldn't go out on the field or work under cover. If everything went as planned, people would never know that Catherine Taylor ever put her feet in Australian soil.

And the plan worked - not exactly fine and perfectly but it worked.

There were informants and agents already working under cover, so she went there to assist them in their task of making sure the politician's visit wouldn't end up in the papers as a tragedy.

Kate was working with other four people, revising routes, analyzing every piece of information the informants could have access and, most important, they were going through the security plan that would be put in action once the man was in Australia.

It was all fine; they had it all orchestrated - until they got to find out who the man was. And that little piece of information almost made them all freak the hell out. It wasn't just a politician - he was the Vice President of a country they weren't allowed to reveal its name.

Everyone hissed when they heard about that little detail that was conveniently left out. What they had planned to be a risky operation but with good chances of success, suddenly became something close to a suicidal mission. Things between the two countries weren't exactly perfect and beautiful; there were some differences, but the major problem was that the Vice President was facing some bad accusations. He was still innocent because no one could prove the charges against him were real, but to many Australians - the Organized Crime included - believed that a fifty three year old man who being judged by child abuse was nothing less than a monster and having him in their country was outraging. Not to mention the fact that some of those children were from Australia - and that was the breaking point.

Nobody wanted that man to put one foot in their country, and, to be fairly honest, everyone involved in that operation didn't like it either. Kate was no exception.

They were all deeply annoyed by the fact that they had to protect a man who didn't deserve protection. Any person in the world that takes advantage of kids didn't deserve protection of any kind. But they were working, and couldn't allow their personal beliefs or what they thought it was the right thing to do. They took an oath, and they had to stick with it whether she liked it or not.

And to say people get really mad when things didn't as well as planned was one hell of an understatement.

In terms of number, the whole Interpol group, plus the armed forced and the local police that were helping them, they were still a few compared to the massive contingent of people who disapprove vehemently the presence of that man in their country.

The day the Vice President was set to arrive in Sidney, she learned that Christopher Cahill was coming with the man and for the first time in a long time, she felt a little bit happier.

Having someone she knew for a while made her feel better; also, Chris was five years older than Kate, meaning he had more experience.

But he also had an ego and a personality that were really hard to deal with.

Even though Kate was used to all that, this time, that pack combined with the tension that was already set in would cause a huge damage to their relationship.

"YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY MEAN THAT!" she yelled at him.

Kate was shocked. She was on the roof of a building, pacing desperately while waiting for the team downstairs to check in.

"I mean it. Forget about it and let's go."

Chris was not standing in front of her, but without the other man that was with him.

"WE CAN'T LEAVE HIM BEHIND, CHRISTOPHER! HE'S ONE OF OURS!"

She couldn't accept what he was saying. Leaving a man behind wasn't acceptable at all.

"KATE! WE HAVE TO LEAVE AND WE HAVE TO DO IT NOW! LET'S. GO!"

He was now yelling back at her. He needed to drag her out of that warzone as soon as possible but she wouldn't listen.

They got involved into an armed conflict and the three of them were the only ones there - everyone else were already gone. There was only one helicopter and it couldn't take everyone at the same time. So, Kate, Christopher and a third man called Mark, decided to be the last ones. They volunteered to be the last ones, but now, Christopher was trying to leave without Mark.

"You go," Kate said. Chris had reached for her arm but she managed to escape his grip. Reaching for her rifle that was already inside the helicopter, she walked towards the edge of the building.

Christopher knew what she was about to do, and as much as he understood that and wanted to do just the same, he knew it was useless. Mark was hit and when he couldn't walk anymore he told Chris to go, and he would buy him some time so he could get to the roof and leave.

But Kate was too goddamned stubborn and protective and wouldn't accept losing a man in combat, not even when there was nothing they could do anymore. Then he remembered what she'd been through; even though she had never lost a partner, she had lost her parents.

Taking a deep breath and not exactly caring for her reaction later, Chris followed her, took the gun out of her hands and before she could protest, he dragged her with him to the helicopter, shut the door closed and yelled to the pilot to go.

To say that Kate was furious was the biggest understatement of the year. She yelled at Christopher the whole way to the airport and when they got out of the helicopter, she was breathing loudly, but stopped yelling. Instead, she approached him and spoke in a low and dangerous tone that was even more concerning than the yelling.

"You fucking bastard," Kate hissed. There were only inches between them, and her chest was almost touching Chris's. "He was on our side." Chris didn't even try to talk back. He knew she wouldn't hear a word he had to say. "You loathsome creature, stay away from me."

Her grey eyes were damn dark, her body was tense and Chris could feel she was struggling to not punch him or God knows what.

The rest of the team that was just waiting for them stood there, watching that weird scene speechless. What the hell happened? They were so close and now there was this hostile atmosphere surrounding them both, and it was so strong that everyone could feel it.

It wasn't necessary for anyone to intervene because Kate turned her back to him and with long and firm steps, she walked away from Chris and got into the jet plane that would take them back home.

The long flight back was pretty awkward to everyone; Kate avoided Chris like the devil avoids a cross, and the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

Once they were back, Kate was supposed to give a report to Hillborne; needless to say that she requested - even though it sounded like a demand - to not work with him ever again.

Nobody understood why that sudden change of heart; they were fairly close and then, totally out of the blue, she doesn't want to see him not even if he appeared painted in pure gold in front of her? That was weird.

Thomas Hillborne asked her why that now, but she didn't say anything. She disapproved vehemently Chris's decision but it would not be her the one to talk about that, especially when he couldn't defend himself; she was damn mad at him, but that didn't mean she was going to cause him any harm willingly.

Kate continued working for Hillborne for about a year, and as expected, she and Chris saw each other occasionally, but nothing had changed between them. When the FBI showed signs of interest and wanted to have her as part of the Bureau, she talked to Hillborne and explained that the interest was mutual. Kate would be able to go back to DC, to her brother and, of course, away from Christopher Cahill; also, her father was a great FBI agent and Kate liked the idea of following her father's steps.

Thomas tried to convince her to stay but he knew it would be useless; she had decided that and wouldn't change her mind. So, Catherine Taylor got out of Interpol to join the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

And now there they were. Seven years later, Kate and Chris were together one more time.

.

"Kate," Chris said after a long silence, and she looked at him. "I'm sorry things between us happened that way.. but I had hopes you would understand why I did that." His voice was soft and emotional and Kate didn't do anything but listen to him. Chris didn't know exactly what her silence meant so he kept going. "I didn't like doing that, Kate. I wish you could believe my words, I hated doing that. But I had to. I wanted to drag Mark with me to the helicopter but he didn't let me.. He knew he wouldn't make it and he chose to stay and buy us some time.. He stayed to save us, Kate."

She had her eyes locked on his and that cause him to shiver. Chris couldn't read what was behind that stare - it was damn deep and she was barely blinking, and he feared they'd argue. Again.

With a sigh, he break the eye contact and looked to his hands that were still holding hers. "I rather have stayed there myself instead of leaving a man behind.." His voice wasn't louder than a whisper, but Kate heard it.

"Don't," she finally spoke again; her voice didn't match her tough expression, it was soft. "Don't wish that."

Her tenderness was so unexpected that Chris raised his head to look at her quickly. Her eyes weren't that dark anymore and he could almost feel the change.

"What's done is done. It makes no sense to create a fuss over something we can't change." Chris looked at her curiously. He was wrong; the Kate standing in front of him now was a different woman. Even though she was still that beautiful woman with a strong personality he met, on the inside, she had changed so much. "You did what you had to do, what you thought it was the best.. I get it now. It's over. Let's move on, okay?"

Kate offered him a half smile as a peace offer; it took her a long time to accept that even though they played on the same side, they were essentially different. She didn't agree with Chris's decision but it wasn't up to her to judge him. Her trust in Chris was still shaken and things weren't exactly how they were before Australia, but Kate learned the hard way that people make mistakes, and being blamed over and over again was not the answer, and she was willing to give him a second chance.

Chris felt his heart sank. Her reaction that day made him wonder if he really made the wrong call and accepting Mark's decision so easily. He was the man in charge and was supposed to protect his team - and he had failed. But now, hearing those words, it made him feel lighter as he didn't feel in a very long time.

He wanted to thank her but his voice let him down. When he opened his mouth to say the words, he choked and the sound he made wasn't something she could make sense of. But when her smile grew bigger, he noticed she got the message.

"So, talking about now. What can you tell me about the Australians? Why are they in Hawaii?"

**xxx**

"So, let me get this straight." Danny's hands were constantly moving. "There was a shooting, one of our suspects died, there was a second unknown guy outside and an officer was hurt. This case keeps getting better and better.."

Steve found himself agreeing with Danny. "Yeah. Tell me about it," he said sinking back into his chair and going back to the pile of paper that they still needed to check.

.

They spend another half hour going through the papers and they found many information on the Australians and their 'works'. It included several different activities, from extortion to murderer.

The almost three hours they spent analyzing the papers weren't that useless. They didn't get to find out what their plans were, but now they had a lot of very useful information about them.

They were fairly content with what they got so far, but when Kono appeared on McGarrett's door, it brighten their moods instantly.

"After some deep digging, I think I found something," she said to Steve and Danny, then her voice changed to something rather grim. "I'd say they are possible threats."

"_Possible_ threats?" Danny voiced what was on Steve's mind as well.

"Yeah. I found several attacks planned," explained Kono. She wasn't overreacting when she put emphasis on the 'several'; the screen in front of them was suddenly filled with so many information they couldn't go through all that with just a look. "Connected to Hawaii, I found five." Excluding everything else, Kono turned their attention to what was related to that island. "Three were supposed to happen months ago, but they never did. There are two more which are still to happen, but we can't possibly know if, unlike the others, they'll actually put them in action or not. As for the targets and the connection between them, they're all politicians, influent people and important buildings but I didn't find anything that would put them together other than that. Same thing with the other load of plans; there are old and new plans, targeting politicians, some rich and famous people, historic and important buildings, but only a couple of them were put in action.."

The three Five-0s seemed to consider the information for a while. On the screen, five attacks, very well planned, were staring back at them. Some were so beautifully and perfectly constructed that Steve could only wonder who was the mastermind behind those; he hadn't seen plans like those in a long time - not since his SEAL days.

"I think we should keep an eye on these," Steve said pointing to the two attacks that were set to happen in the near future. One target was the building where the Five-0 task force had its headquarters, and the other was a Hawaiian Senator. "Neutralize any possible act that might indicate they're about to happen. Nice done, Kono. I'll tell Chin and the HPD about it." Steve thought about Kate. They've been at the HQ for almost three hours and didn't hear a word from her; he didn't like it. "Danny, call Kate. She might want to know it."

"I'm on it." Danny knew that there was more to that request than Steve was telling him. Actually, he was starting to get really worried about her. Taking his phone from his pocket rather quickly, he searched for her number and pressed dial; impatience grew inside him when she didn't answer it immediately.

**xxx**

Kate and Christopher were now in his room at the Hilton.

While they were at the pool, they were interrupted by someone who, according to Kate's guts, should be a part of the subjects they were investigating; when the man left, Chris just confirmed what she was suspecting.

"He's Australian," he whispered while leaning closer to her ear.

Perfectly aware of what was happening, Kate just smiled seductively, even though a shiver ran down her spine when he said those words. There could be others watching them and it wasn't wise to act like they were discussing business. Also, Kate had no idea if they knew who she was.

"Relax," he whispered as he caressed her hand he was still holding. He felt her body getting tense and he knew why she was feeling that way. "He doesn't know you."

Even with Chris's affirmation, Kate didn't feel very comfortable, and that's when they left that crowded place to a quiet one - his hotel room.

Kate was still alert, after all, her trust in Christopher Cahill was still shaken, but at least they could talk. She learned why the Australians came to that island and her mouth dropped open.

"Terrorism. That's terrific." Kate was pacing through the room. Of course she didn't mean it. It was just sarcasm speaking. "What's the target? Why Hawaii?"

"It's not decided yet," answered Chris, who was sitting on the edge of the king sized bed. "And as for the why, I believe we can say it's a personal vendetta."

"A personal vendetta?" She stopped on her tracks. Turning to face him, she had this twisted expression in her eyes. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Marshall O'Hanlin."

It didn't surprise Kate. He was an American citizen who ruined their plans and they didn't let it go - welcome to the world of the Organized Crime. They don't forgive, and sure they don't forget.

"O'Hanlin is dead," said Kate. "Murdered by Australians."

That wasn't exactly a surprise to Chris. "Yes. I tried to avoid that; I informed Hillborne, the director's board even the witness protection that he was a target, but they weren't fast enough.. Turns out, they already knew what was his new identity and got to him first."

Kate walked weakly to one of the chairs that were by both sides of the bed and let her body fall on it. "How did they find out who he was?" She had a fairly good idea how, but she wanted to know what he had to say.

"The man never stopped investigating," he said calmly. "And it's quite easy to keep track of information."

Kate let her head fall back. She had a very bad feeling about all that. Suddenly, the first body found - Henry Jackson's - popped back in her head.

"So, that's everything, right?" Kate wouldn't ask straight if they were working with the Yakuza, or if the other murder was also their work. "No other murders or anything?"

Chris raised an eyebrow dubiously when he heard Kate's question. "No. Nothing else," he said. Then, thinking a little bit better, he corrected himself. "Not that I know of.. Why?"

"I've already told you," said Kate, not demonstrating her real interest. "I'm working on this case."

Chris just nodded because that time, Kate's phone rang loudly in the quiet room. It took her a few seconds to answer it because, when she stood up quickly, a painful and burning sensation spread from her abdomen through her entire body.

"Kate, you okay?" Chris stood up quickly. He had noticed her face twisting in pain and was suddenly concerned about her integrity when his eyes flew to where her hands were placed.

Kate put up a small fight when he tried to see what was causing her so much pain but Chris was stronger and she didn't resist much because it caused her more pain. That's when he saw that her abdomen had this huge injury and her flesh was raw.

"Kate? What happened?"

Cursing quietly, she took a step away from him. "Nothing serious." With a shrug, Kate turned her attention to her phone. She had taken it from her pocket to see who was calling. It was Danny.

"Dan," she said, trying to sound as casual as possible. Not that Kate had something to hide, she was just trying to stop thinking about the pain.

_"Kate, hey.. Where are you?"_

She noticed concern mixed with curiosity in Danny's words and she knew exactly why; they were at the Five-0 headquarters and she said she'd meet them there.

"I'm with a friend," Kate answered apologetically as she looked at her watch and noticed it was almost 6 PM. "Sorry, I lost track of time.."

_"Nah, it's all good, don't worry. But you're okay, right?"_

"Yeah," she replied making a grimace face, so glad that Danny couldn't see that. "Yes, I'm great."

Even though he was far from where Kate was, Danny doubted she was telling the truth._ "You sure?"_ asked the detective. Her voice wasn't matching her words.

"Yes." Cursing herself mentally, she inhaled deeply and changed the subject quickly but as subtle as possible. "So, something's wrong?"

_"I could say so. Think we found something.. actually, Kono was the one who made the 'finding' part."_

"Okay," said Kate as a small smile played with her lips. "And what's that?"

_"You know that deposit you and Chin went checking earlier today? Turns out the owner of it, Natalie Tee who was also the victim's girlfriend, emptied it."_

"Come again?" The pain was long gone; now, the only thing that had her attention was Danny.

_"Joshua Parker, or Marshall O'Hanlin, whatever you want to call him, had a girlfriend. Natalie Tee. McGarrett and I went seeing her and she told us he asked her to clear that deposit. Two days later, he died. She didn't know he was dead til today.. Poor woman."_

Kate's brain was working full mode and she was barely paying attention to Chris, who was fumbling inside his luggage, looking for something.

"Alright, and..?"

_"And, she gave us what O'Hanlin kept in there. Two boxes with a lot, a huge and whole lot of papers, a laptop and an external hard drive. Steve and I spend the last three hours or so going through all of that and got some information about their activities.. But Kono found something bigger in both devices."_ Danny made a small pause and Kate started pacing again. _"Possible threats,"_ he said using the same words Kono used.

"You want me to beg for further information or what?" asked Kate as humorous as she could.

_"I'd like to see something like that but I'll make things easier for you this time,"_ Danny said and Kate caught herself smiling. _"There were several attacks planned, and when I say several, I mean over thirty. All over the world. Here in Hawaii, there were five. Three with their expiration date long gone, but two are still latent.."_ A longer pause came and Kate felt something was wrong. _"One of them targets the Five-0 building."_

Hearing about the potential threat towards their headquarters, Kate finally looked for Chris. He was waiting for her to hang up with bandages, clean tissues and everything that was necessary to clean and cover Kate's injury.

"You're still at the Five-0 HQ, right?"

_"Yes. Why?"_

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes," said Kate with her eyes locked on Chris's. She didn't even wait for Danny's reply and ended the phone call.

"You said the Australians planted some information and kept track of them," Kate's voice, just like her whole body was shaking. "I need to know what's real and what's not."

Chris could feel the tension coming from every single pore of her skin. Her breathing pattern was messed up and her lips were pressed together - it was a clear message that she wasn't up for any jokes.

"Alright, calm down," he said in a low voice, trying to make her chill just a little but it worked the other way.

"Don't. Do not ask me to calm down. There are threats haunting this Island, Christopher. I **need** to know what's real and what's not."

Kate was so out of herself that even she got surprised with her own reaction.

"Hey. Okay. I'll get you that information," said Chris slowly. He did not want to see her wild side one more time. "I just need some time.. Uh- have dinner with me. Eight thirty. I'll see if I can get that info by then."

It took her not over a few seconds to accept that. "Okay.. I gotta go now."

She was already on her way to the door when his strong hands stopped her.

"Hang on. Let me take a look at this," he said indicating her abdomen.

"It's fine, forget it." Kate tried to escape him, but he had a firm grip on her wrist.

"C'mon, don't be like that. Let me clean this and put a bandage. It'll heal faster."

She knew he was right, so she eventually gave up. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she allowed him to clean the wound and wrap her with clean bandages.

"There you go," he said after three long minutes. Kate doubted that it was necessary such long time to do that but she didn't say a word; any interruption would only make that process last a little longer.

"Thank you," she replied standing quickly and walked to the door without looking back. She wanted to get out of there and get to the Five-0 headquarters as soon as possible.

"Want me to pick you up?"

"Sorry, what?" Kate had one hand on the doorknob when Chris's voice brought her attention back to the room.

"Already forgot?" There was a hint of a hurtful tone in Chris's words but she knew it wasn't real. "Our dinner. Eight thirty. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"No, I didn't forget," she said quickly. She really didn't, but she had other things in her head. "And no. I'll meet you here."

With a half smile, Kate left the room and walked as fast as she could to the elevator. When she reached the hotel lobby, she couldn't stop thinking about what Danny had said. She couldn't bear considering that he and Kono and Steve could possibly be in danger. It was more than she could take.

Signaling to a cab, she gave him the address and spend the whole ride quiet. Now that her mind had drifted to Steve, she was feeling a little nervous. She wouldn't back down, but meeting Cath made her feel a little insecure.

With a deep breath, she tried to push those thoughts aside. She was suffering in anticipation and that was really unnecessary.

. . .

* * *

><p><em>Like I said, I decided to divide this chapter in two because I think it'd be better, so, so far, what are your thoughts on my story? Feedback is always greatly appreciated. Mahalo everyone!<em>


	18. Chapter 18

**Aloha sailors!**

**Thank you very much everyone who has reviewed, favorited and alerted this story **so far**. You are great!**

**So, here's another chapter and _again_, **I didn't do much work on this chapter but I wanted to share it with everyone.** Please, let me know if you find something odd or weird or too awkward. I take full responsibility on my mistakes. But over all, I hope you guys enjoy it!  
><strong>

_**On a side note: Get well soon,** SugarMuffin08**! Much love my dear.**_

* * *

><p>It took Kate a little longer than fifteen minutes to walk by the statuesque of Kamehameha, and into the Five-0 headquarters.<p>

_'I need a car,'_ she thought to herself right after she paid the taxi driver. _'Tomorrow morning. First thing. I'm getting a car.'_

.

When Kate walked through the glass doors, she noticed the place was fairly quiet. Looking around quickly, she found out that Steve and Danny were in their offices, while Kono worked at the smart table; she was the first one to see Kate.

"Hey you," greeted Kono, looking away from the desk for a while. "Where have you been?"

"Hi there," said Kate with a smile. "I went meeting someone who might help us.."

"Really? Who? How so?"

Before she had a chance to answer Kono's question, Danny went meeting them by the smart table.

"Kate," he said with a small smile.

"Hi Danny." Kate flashed him a smile back. "It's great seeing you again."

"I can say the same.."

"So, tell me about what you guys find out."

.

It took Steve a while to notice the three figures by the smart table. He saw Kate was standing there with Kono and Danny and felt a bit lighter - apparently, she was alright.

"Yeah, that's all we have for now." He was still on the phone with Chin Ho.

_"Okay. Call if you find anything else, alright?"_

"Sure.. By the way, Kate's here."

_"Oh, that's great."_ Steve couldn't not notice the change in Chin's voice - he was relieved to hear that.

He was really glad to see her again, but he still found himself wondering if there was something else going on and he wasn't aware of; he said his goodbyes and hang up. Then, he left his office to join the small group that seemed to be very chatty.

When he approached them, he noticed they were talking about what Kono found on the devices.

"So, basically, we have two major threats, but we can't possibly know if it's gonna happen of not?" Kate's voice was filled with evident frustration. Running a hand through her long hair, she tried to organize her thoughts. At least she got to know that they weren't immediate plans, they still have some time and maybe they could avoid it.

Then, something caught her attention; turning only her head, she noticed Steve was just a few steps behind them. Her heart skipped a beat but she tried to keep that to herself.

"Steve, glad you're here," she said not so calmly. "There's something I need to tell you." Then, turning to face everyone else too, Kate added: "To everyone."

During the next twenty minutes or so, Kate explained why took her so long to get back there. She told them about Christopher Cahill and about their joint work in Australia; bracing herself for everyone's reaction, she told them about her short time working as an Interpol agent.

Ignoring Danny and Kono's widened eyes and Steve's lack of emotions in his expression, Kate kept going. She told them they discovered O'Hanlin's new identity, explained how they tracked him down and got rid of him. And, most important, she let them know that the Australians were planning something, but she couldn't tell what was that for sure. Not yet.

By the end, all eyes were fixed on her and she was feeling pretty uncomfortable with that attention. She couldn't possibly know what they were thinking or how they were feeling about her not coming clean about everything from day one, especially about her little enterprise in Australia with the international police.

"So, there's a chance these threats are bogus.." Kono was the one to break the silence after a long while in Kate's opinion.

"I'd say so. But I also believe we shouldn't ignore what we have here." Kate pointed to the screen where Kono had showed her the two attacks planned. There was something familiar in the way it was written and designed, but she couldn't identify what was that..

"I agree," said Danny with a nod. "Even though there's this possibility, I think it would be reckless if we just ignore what we have here without any hard evidence that these aren't real or that this Cahill's information is good. No offense."

"Non taken," Kate replied calmly. While explaining them everything, she didn't mention the little incident between Chris and herself and how it kept them apart for a long time.

Danny, Kono and Kate talked about the whole bunch of information brought by Kate, but Steve remained silent for the whole time. The FBI agent was getting more and more concerned about that and when he finally spoke, she almost jumpedout of her skin.

"Can I speak with you. In private." Kate felt the blood leave her face. For the first time in a long time, she felt a teensy bit worried when someone she worked with called her for a '_chat_'.

"Sure," she replied weakly - very unlike her.

Steve pointed to his office and let her walk in front of him. Exchanging a quick look with Danny and Kono, he followed Kate's steps and walked into his office, closing the door behind him.

"Background check on Christopher Cahill," said Danny and Kono in unison.

.

Even though Steve's office had glass walls, Kate felt trapped in there. She didn't know what to expect and the anxiety was killing her.

Choosing to stand instead of sitting, she forced herself to look at Steve who was standing in front of the door. Their eyes locked and Kate didn't see Steve's deep breaths. Eventually, she couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"Look, I didn't plan to keep that from you. Or your team." She explained nervously. "I tried to tell you about the Interpol and what my job was when I went to Australia, but the-"

"Kate." When Steve said her name, she stopped talking immediately. His voice wasn't cold as ice, but it sounded like that to her. "Breathe."

She didn't notice she was holding it until that moment. With a couple of deep breaths, she calmed herself just enough to pay attention to the man in front of her.

"Okay, now talk."

Kate closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened it, she began speaking again. "Earlier today, when I told you about my job in Australia, I was going to tell you I used to be an Interpol agent.. But I didn't know how to tell it. And when I found a break just outside, well, something happened and I didn't know how. Again."

Steve knew what she was talking about. It was when Mary called. Kate wanted to say something but they were interrupted. He nodded inwardly. As crazy as it sounds, he could live with that. But there was one thing he couldn't stop thinking.

"Why you didn't tell me you went meeting this Cahill guy when we spoke on the phone?"

Steve had crossed his arms in front of his chest and Kate opened her mouth but not a single sound came out; she just looked at Steve in disbelief.

"I.. I honestly don't know," she admitted. Steve frowned and she noticed she needed to do better than that. "He's part of my Interpol past.. and you didn't know it yet. It's my fault, I know, but it happened so fast. When we spoke, I was with Chin at the storage and I still didn't know I was meeting him. I was actually waiting for a call from my former boss. I only knew I'd meet him later.." She was to add 'when I was at your place', but she didn't. Remembering that made her think about Cath and a lump appeared in her throat.

Steve heard that quietly. The fact that she kept that information bothered him more than anything else.

"It could be dangerous," he said when it was evident that she had finished.. or at least she wouldn't continue.

"I know," she replied and let her eyes stare at her feet for a second or two. Then, she did something she wasn't used to: "I'm sorry." Apologizing for her behavior.

Steve didn't say a word. He wasn't expecting an apology so he just shook his head. What was she doing with him?

"And why didn't you mention the shooter?"

Kate's eyes widened with that question. Of course Chin must have told him, what she was wondering was exactly what he said.

"Well, you said you and Danny were going to talk to Natalie so I thought there would be time for that later.."

Steve finally left his place and took one step forward, closing a little the distance between them, but still respecting her personal space.

"You're alright?"

He didn't know about her little incident. "Yes, I'm great."

Steve didn't buy that at first so, with her arms opened, she made a 360' turn to show him she was in one piece. "See? I'm fine."

When she stopped again and looked at Steve, for a split second she thought she had saw something different in his eyes. But she couldn't name what was that because it vanished as fast as it appeared.

Looking deep in her eyes, Steve breathed in and out and then he spoke again. "Don't ever do that again, you hear me? **Ever.** How many times I'll have to tell you that we are a unit. We're a **team**. We protect each other! Except, we can't do that if we don't know where you are or what you're up to."

He let out all the frustration, worry and concern that were walking with him ever since the moment he left her at O'Hanlin's house. Steve didn't raise his voice, but Kate noticed that the way he spoke was more aggressive than anything else. Biting her lower lip, she showed she got the message with a short nod.

Silence fell upon them and both Steve and Kate didn't feel like breaking it.

Kate was feeling so glad that he was alright. Not that there was one reason for her to think otherwise, but she was happy to see him again after spending a long time away. And the same thing happened to Steve. Having Kate at arms reach and where he could see her was the best feeling he had felt that entire day.

.

Kono and Danny were still by the smart table working on Christopher Cahill's background. Sadly enough, he had a locked file. They tried many things but didn't get much on him.

Finally, Danny suggested they called Steve to let him know when they noticed what was going on Steve's office.

Kate and Steve were standing there, in the middle of the room, just staring at each other.

A perky smiled appeared on his face and he didn't make a move to the room.

"What are you waiting f-" Kono was questioning Danny's lack of actions when her eyes followed Danny's. "Oh.." She smiled amused. "They aren't fooling anybody."

"No, they aren't.. But it's fun to watch." Said Danny looking at the Asian girl.

"Yeah.. I just wonder what's gonna happen now that Cath is back," Kono whispered.

"Oh right," agreed Danny as they watched the two people inside Steve's office. "I rather not think about it."

.

They were both lost in their thoughts, in their own emotions, and in each other's eyes when a phone ringing brought them back from their trance.

Cursing quietly in his head, Steve reached for the loud object in his pocket. Taking it in his hands, he glanced at the screen to see a very bright picture of Cath on it.

Muttering an '_excuse me_' to Kate, Steve answered the phone.

"Hey." His voice wasn't exactly cheerful.

_"Hey you. Still working?"_

"Yeah.. still at work. Why? Something's wrong?"

_"No, nothing's wrong. I was just wondering if we're still gonna have dinner."_

Dinner with Cath. He totally forgot about that. He thought about postponing it, but then he decided that the best thing to do was to talk to Cath as soon as possible.

"Sure. I just need to finish some things here."

_"Okay. I'll be waiting."_

"Alright, see you soon."

When he hung up, he noticed he was alone in his office and Kate was outside with Danny and Kono; she had left shortly after he answered his phone.

Checking his watch, Steve learned it was 6:37 pm. After a few seconds thinking, he decided that there wasn't much to be done the rest of the day so he decided it was time to go home.

"Let's go guys," he said after leaving his office. Everyone stared at him, not really sure what that meant. "I don't think we can do much more today so, let's all go home.,"

Danny looked at Steve suspiciously but the tall man just waved him off.

"Kate, want a ride?"

She went mute with Steve's question. It was simple and quite obvious but she was definitely not looking forward to go back to his place and face Cath again. Not yet.

"Uh- no, thanks. I still have some.. stuff to do." That was a terrible lie and, even though she knew no one was buying that, she decided to keep that instead of saying her jealous side was attacking. "I'm waiting for a phone call from DC so, you go ahead. I'll call a cab later, don't worry."

Kate had to look somewhere else to avoid the dubious look on Steve's eyes. He was to say something but Danny, even though he knew better than to jump into whatever they had going on, decided to intervene.

"Go ahead," he said Steve. "I'll drive her home. I need to finish some papers.. You can go home." He did have some things to put in order and it could easily wait for tomorrow, but something was telling him it would be better if he stayed with Kate. "_Go!_"

He didn't like the idea of leaving while the rest of the team was still there. But when Kono tapped his shoulder and signaled the door with her head, Steve muttered an '_alright_' very much against his will and left the place with only Kono walking by his side; the Asian girl flashed a smile to Kate and Danny, who stayed behind.

"Thanks Dan," Kate said after watching McGarrett vanish through the huge glass doors. "But you can go if you want to, I'll be alright.."

"No need to thank me," said Danny giving her an encouraging smile. "And I'm not going anywhere. I do have some things to do so, if you need me, I'll be right there in my office."

Danny left Kate alone with her thoughts and got to his small room. Just because he decided to stay with her, didn't mean he would pry into her business like that. He did that to McGarrett all the time, but for some unknown reason, he thought it would be better if he kept his nose out of that – maybe it was too personal.

.

Kate stood there, all by herself, after Danny went to his office. She needed some time alone, but also didn't think she could handle when her thoughts started to take over, because she knew it would happen sooner or later.

Waving any thoughts not work related, Kate reached for her phone to do the exact same thing that Danny and Kono got from Steve's silent message.

_"Kate.."_

"Hi Tom," she greeted Thomas Hillborne politely.

_"So, did you get my message? Did you talk to Christopher?"_

"Yes, I did. Thank you for that."

_"You're always welcome."_

Pacing through the room, Kate ran her free hand through her hand. "Tom, I'm gonna need another favor, and I'm also gonna ask for discreetness."

_"What is it?"_ She felt Thomas Hillborne paying extra attention to her words not.

"I need access to Cahill's file."

Kate knew his file was locked, and the only way to see that was to ask directly to Hillborne.

She was expecting some questions, such as _'why do you need that?'_ or _'what are you looking for?'_ and she was ready for that. What she wasn't ready for was Thomas agreeing very quickly with that.

_"Alright."_

"Really?" Kate didn't mean to say that out loud but that's exactly what happened. Thomas chuckled on the other side.

_"Really,"_ he said quite humorous. _"Actually I was wondering when you would call and ask for it.."_

"Wow.. That's quite unexpected," said Kate restarting to pace.

_"I'll send it to you in a moment,"_ Thomas said still amused.

"I'll be waiting.. And Thomas, please, I would like to keep this between us if you don't mind."

_"Don't worry."_

"I owe you. Big time. Thank you."

Without any goodbyes, Kate ended the phone call. The reason she wanted Chris's file was to get to know what he did during those years they were apart - that and the lack of full trust in the man. Kate had a bit of trusting issues, especially when people let her down once.

After a while, Kate gave up on being alone and walked to Danny's office. He was organizing some papers, just like he told Steve, so she went quietly to the sofa and let her body fall on that piece of furniture.

"Thank you, Danny," said Kate after long five minutes. She kept her voice low to not bother Danny a lot.

The Jersey detective gave up on his failed attempt to get some work done. The only reason he stayed was because of that woman, to keep her company.

"Don't mention it," replied Danny as he stood up, walked around his desk and sat by her side.

They remained quiet for not longer than a minute, until Danny couldn't hold it any longer.

"What's bothering you, Kate?"

With a heavy sigh, she threw her head back and wondered for a moment. "Everything is so confused right now, Dan.."

"Wanna talk?"

Kate looked at Danny. His blue eyes were caring and soft; it reminded her of her own brother and she felt a little bit better.

"No, I'm good.."

Surprisingly enough, Kate wasn't lying. At least not completely. She really didn't feel like talking and she was a bit better. Except for the part where she didn't want to think about Cath and Steve, she was great.

**xxx**

Steve got to his place in less than fifteen minutes. The first thing he saw was a car parked in front of his house. Cath was there. Taking a deep breath, he got out of his trunk and walked to his front door.

"Hey sailor."

"Hi Cath. Mary." As he expected, Cath was in his room, along with his sister. "I just need a shower," he said to Cath as he walked upstairs, into his bedroom.

It took him no longer than fifteen minutes to get ready, but the subtle hints of Kate's presence there, a perfume on the sink, a towel above her luggage, her scent that was still lingering in that place were enough to keep him in his bedroom for five more minutes. Then, deciding to stop postponing the inevitable, Steve walked back downstairs.

"So, ready?" he asked Cath, but, deep down, it was also a question to himself. Never in his life he had to go through something like that and, to be fairly honest, Steve would pick a war over that situation any time.

"Sure," replied Cath with a smile. "Bye, Mary," she said looking at Steve's sister who stayed with her for practically the whole day.

"Bye guys." Mary thought about adding some 'have fun', but when she gave that idea a second thought, she decided not to.

"Mare," Steve was standing by the door and began to speak when Mary cut him.

"I know, I know.. I won't burn down the house, throw a party or anything like that."

Steve squinted as he looked at his sister. "I sure hope not. But that's not what I was going to say.. Kate doesn't have a key so, if you're going out, leave the key somewhere she can find it and let her know, okay?"

"Sure, don't worry." Steve gave her a smile but, before he could take one step, he heard Mary's voice speaking to him again. "Good luck!"

With one last glance at the blonde smiley woman on the couch, he closed the door and walked to his truck where Cath was already waiting for him.

Steve shifted his eyes shortly to the watch on his wrist - it was 7:11 pm and he had a feeling that it would be a tough night; he only wished it wasn't also a long and way too awkward one. Breathing deeply, he thought to himself that maybe he would need some luck.

**xxx**

"NO. WAY! Are you serious? You met Sammy Sosa?" Danny was so hyper that Kate found that hilarious. They were sitting in front of the screens that earlier that day were filled with case files and stuff like that. Now, they were watching baseball. Danny's team - the Yankees - were playing.

"Cross my heart, hope to die. My dad was a huge fan.."

"And you weren't?" He couldn't decide if he kept his eyes on the screen or on Kate.

"Actually, I never saw the man playing.."

"I have a question and please, choose your words carefully. Do you, Catherine Taylor, like baseball?"

"I do," Kate said with not that much enthusiasm.

"That was very reassuring, I don't know if I can trust you anymore."

"Seriously? Because of baseball? Danny!"

Even with that playful argument, Kate was having so much fun. Just moments later they were sitting quiet on Danny's sofa when he snapped totally out of the blue and there they were, watching baseball. All the pressure that came with the case, or anything else was long gone.

"Don't tell me you're into football," said Danny with this puppy dog eyes that made Kate smile real big.

"I like football," Kate replied looking at him with the corner of her eyes. A mischievous smile still playing with her lips.

"Alright, I quit." Danny threw his hands in the air and began to stand up, but was stopped by Kate's hands that brought him back to his chair.

"No! You do not quit, Daniel. I told you I like baseball, now sit your ass back there or God have mercy on your soul."

Danny faked a scared face and did what she said. "Yes, ma'am. Please don't hurt me. I have a daughter."

Kate laughed an easy laugh. She enjoyed the Five-0s; Danny, Kono, Steve and also Chin. They were great company, whether they were working or on their free time.

Then, the simple thought about work made Kate check her watch immediately. It was 7:47 pm and she had dinner plans at 8:30 pm. She wanted to badly to call Chris and tell him she couldn't go, but the thought of getting to know if the threat against the building she was currently in was real or not spoke louder than all the fun she was having with Danny.

"Dan," Kate spoke with her best soft voice and he looked at her instantly. "I'm afraid I have to go.."

"What? Why? You hate baseball that much?"

"No," she said, but then noticed her voice wasn't exactly firm. "No. I don't hate it. I told you I like it. But it's not because of it." Kate made a short pause, causing Danny to raise an eyebrow. "I have dinner plans. With Christopher." She decided to tell him because of what Steve had mentioned not too long ago; about they being a team and to protect each other.

"I'm sorry.. Did you just say Christopher?" Danny was now paying extra attention to that conversation.

"Yes.. Why?"

"Look. I get that the man is your friend and that you worked together.. But we don't know a thing about him, Kate." Danny sighed loudly. He probably shouldn't tell her what he was about to, but he did it anyways. "We tried to run his background but the guy has a locked file."

Kate listened to Danny's words carefully and she wasn't impressed. Not even when he mentioned the fact that they ran background check on Chris.

"He's not exactly my _friend_, Dan. We're colleagues. We worked together, but it was a long time ago. I haven't seen or spoke with him ever since.. Also, I'll get his file in a while, and I have someone else in DC working on his background check so don't worry. As soon as I receive those, I'll give them to you.."

"Wait a minute, what's all that supposed to mean?" Danny forgot about the game and he had his full attention on Kate. "I thought you knew the guy!"

"I know him.. but.. it's complicated.."

"Well, please, enlighten me! Because I don't get how you're having dinner with someone we know nothing about and you say that whatever goes between you two _it's complicated_.."

The concern in Danny's voice was so evident that Kate was surprised. She knew he was a bit protective but she wasn't expecting all that. But, since she trusted Danny, she told him what happened in their past.

"Chris and I were very close, but during our last job together, we had a fight - one hell of a fight, and it cost us our friendship. Ever since then I didn't talk to him.. But he works with the Interpol, Dan. And even though we had our issues, he's an agent and it is my belief that it has to mean something." Kate made a pause and tried to find something in Danny's eyes that would tell her he was listening. "I know you have your doubts because you don't know him. Trust me, I have doubts too. But he might be the one to help us, Dan. And God knows we need help."

Danny was dead quiet. The memories of Steve's "friend" Nick Taylor came back in no time and he didn't know what to think about all this. Kate noticed he was having difficulty to accept that.

"Danny, listen to me. Right now, from where we are standing, Christopher Cahill is our best shot. I can tell you're not very fond of him right now and believe me, I understand. But I'll have his file in a few, and once we have the results of the background check, then we can decide if what he says is real or not. But until then.. I need to take this chance, Dan." Taking Danny's hands in hers, she squeezed it gently. "I need to.. Besides, you'll know where I'll be. If anything feels weird, I'll give you a call, first thing."

Everything inside Danny was telling him to do not accept that, but he did. He knew Kate was right and he prayed that nothing went wrong or Steve would kill him.

"Alright.. But call me. And text me where you're heading to. Otherwise I'll have a SWAT team going after you."

Kate flashed him a smile and placed a kiss on his hand. "Thanks, Dan. Now let's go. I need to get dressed and be at the Hilton by 8:30. And since I still have no wheels, you're driving me."

.

With Danny as the driver, Kate managed to go to Steve's place, get dressed and get to the Hilton just in time.

"You know what, I'm surprised. I thought I'd have a_ 'Driving Miss Daisy'_ ride," said Kate when he killed the engine of his Camaro in front of the Hilton. According to her phone's clock, she still had five minutes.

"I thought you might prefer something like_ 'The Fast and the Furious'_," Danny said with a smile; but then his smile gave place to a serious expression. "Kate.. Are you sure?"

"Yes, Dan. I am sure." Kate took Danny's hand and gave him a gentle squeeze. "Relax, alright. I'm a big girl, I can handle it.."

He didn't doubt she could handle it, but didn't let her know.

"I'll be waiting for your text," said Danny from inside the silver vehicle after Kate stepped out of his car. "If you don't-"

"I know. You'll send a SWAT team after me, I get it."

"Well, that and I'll kill you myself, you understand?"

With a gentle and reassuring smile, Kate whispered a 'goodbye' and walked to the hotel.

For a moment, while Danny watched Kate's figure getting smaller and smaller as she walked away from where he was standing, the detective considered calling his partner, but then, he decided to only do so if something else happened. Praying that nothing would go wrong, he started the engine of his Camaro and drove back to his place.

.

At precisely eight thirty, Kate knocked on Chris's door; and he answered immediately.

Chris dropped his jaw when he saw who was standing right outside his door. "Wow.. You look absolutely amazing."

Because he didn't say where they were going, and she didn't have much time to think about her wardrobe, Kate picked a navy blue wrap dress that ended right above her knee, black pumps to match her black clutch bag and pulled her hair up on a fancy ponytail.

"No, I'm not," she replied waving that compliment with a shy smile. "So, shall we?"

"Yes, of course.. Just let me get my jacket," he said as he reached for the tailored jacket that was hanging on an armchair nearby.

"So, where are we going?" asked Kate when they walked down the hall to the elevator.

"I heard about this restaurant in Waikiki.. They say it's the best."

"Really, and you heard that from who.. exactly?" Kate was frowning lightly.

"From someone who works at the reception," he answered and both ended up giggling. For a moment, Kate almost felt like the old times..

.

Chris parked his silver Audi R8 in the parking lot of the restaurant. It should be really good because the place was really full.

"Come on," he said ushering Kate to the entrance door.

Once they were at the door, Kate's eyes automatically scanned the place. There weren't many empty tables but her eyes went further. Chris was talking to a waiter when Kate felt her blood freeze in her veins. Her eyes were locked on a table right on the corner, and when Chris tried to tell her the waiter would take them to their table, she didn't move an inch.

"I want to go some place else," she said after a while.

"But Kate, we jus-"

"Please, Chris. Just.. Let's go somewhere else."

Kate was practically begging and that made Chris look around. He knew it wasn't like her to do that, so he wondered what was bothering her that much.

"Alright," he agreed. Thanking the waiter, Chris and Kate left the place.

Before walking through the doors, Kate glanced one last time to the table in the back of the restaurant - she could clearly see Steve.. and Cath.

. . .

* * *

><p><em><em>So far, what are your thoughts on my story? <em>I appreciate feedback or constructive critique, so feel free to leave a comment or PM me. Mahalo everyone!_


	19. Chapter 19

**Aloha sailors!**

**Thank you everyone who's still with me, everyone who has reviewed, favorited and alerted this story so far. You are all amazing!**

**I'd like to send big hugs to **_kar47_**, **_griffin7x_** and my dearly beloved **_SuggarMuffin08_**. Your reviews and kind words are the best thing ever, so thank you very much!**

**Here's another chapter and I hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

><p>"Where would you like to go?" Steve asked Cath once they were inside his Chevy Silverado and driving through the streets of Oahu.<p>

"Um.." Cath took a moment to think. "I was thinking about that place in Waikiki, the Alii?"

"Good choice." With a half smile on his face, Steve thought about what way was the best to get to that restaurant.

.

Steve and Cath had a fairly nice dinner. They talked about neutral things, such as work, the food, even Steve's arrest worked fine. But, by the time they were having dessert, they ran out of those mild and safe subjects and Steve and Cath knew they had reached the point with no return.

"So.. I think it's time for us to talk about the real reason why we're here," said Cath while putting the spoon aside and bringing herself to look at the man in front of her.

Steve did the same and when their eyes met, he noticed the intensity in Cath's eyes and, deep down, he thought she knew exactly what was about to happen.

When Cath saw Steve earlier that day in his work place, she felt something was different, and when she met Kate in his house, she instantly knew why. Things were indeed different; they had changed.

"Right.." Steve inhaled deeply. He had no idea how to do that; he could face an armed man without having any weapons himself, he could deal with a bomb threat, he could even handle jail, but not even one of his trainings prepared him to that. "Cath, I.." Another pause. Steve tried to think of what was the best way for him to get to the subject. "I'm gonna be very honest with you. I'm not sure how to do it.. But I think we need to talk."

"About us." Cath added. She was surprised with the calm in her own voice, but not as surprised as Steve.

Hearing Cath's words, he stared at her, mute. "Well, yeah.." Steve said after a brief moment of quietness.

Two possibilities were being formed in his head. Number one, Cath did know what he was about to say, or number two, she was expecting a different kind of talk, and that would be so extremely awkward.

Cath offered him a smile. For a brief moment he thought that Cath was hoping to hear something completely different than what he had in mind.

Subtle was never Steve's strong suit, but because he didn't want to hurt Cath, or cause her very minimal damage, he found himself thinking of a way to tell her that things had changed.

"Don't give yourself a headache, sailor," said Cath with a small smile on her face.

God, she was struggling so hard to keep her game face on and her head held high when deep down, she knew that would be the first and probably the last time they'd have dinner together. Well, maybe not the last time, but if they ever did that again, it would probably be just as friends.

Friends. Cath thought to herself how just a single word could make her heart ache.

Since she met Steve and afterwards when they started to see each other casually, Cath didn't have any real hopes that they might end up together. She thought about that from time to time, but she knew it wouldn't get serious. And it surprised her how acknowledging that fact was painful.

"Look Cath. I don't think there's an easier way to do this.." Steve's eyes drifted to his hands that were lying on the table, but he quickly raised his head to face Cath. "You're important to me. Really.. But I think it wouldn't be fair to either of us, especially you, I didn't tell you that things are a bit different now.."

_A bit different? A 5'9'' woman wasn't exactly the definition of 'a bit' different,_ Cath thought to herself but didn't say it out loud. Instead, majestically holding that small smile on her face, she chose better words to say.

"I noticed that," And when he stared at her, Cath continued. "You're as subtle as a gun, Commander."

Steve chuckled, not really sure if that was a nervous reflex or if he was actually relieved that Cath was making things a little easier for him. "Is that so?"

"Yeah."

They both shared a moment of laugh and it was like that unknown thing that brought them together wasn't forever ruined. Maybe, after a while apart, they could really try to be friends.

"It was great while it last, wasn't it?" Cath asked when they stopped laughing. Steve looked at the woman in front of him. She had just used past tense. Cath wasn't making things difficult and he really appreciated that. Catherine Rollins was a great woman, and would always be a part of his life. But now, what they had belonged in the past.

"Yes, it was." Looking deep in her eyes, Steve took her hand in his - just a small gesture of affection. They weren't together anymore, but they still cared about each other, the only difference was that now, it was in a different way. There was no 'us' for Cath and Steve like there was one day. "It was fantastic."

"Do you regret it?" Cath bit her lip. That was a delicate question, and now that she had asked it, she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

Steve didn't have to think twice to answer that question. "Never."

In Cath's eyes, he could see the mix of emotions in her eyes and he could see that, even though she was being a lady and acting to nicely, he noticed she was sad about it all.

Steve squeezed her hand gently and offered her a small smile; those simple acts along with his gentle eyes were his way of saying he was sorry for causing her pain. Cath understood his silent message. She knew he wouldn't do it willingly and she also knew it was necessary. It was painful to see another woman in his life, she needed to admit it, but, even though they shared great moments together, Steve wasn't hers to keep. Not really. So, in the end, it would be all for the best.

Cath gave him back the same small smile, letting him know that it was okay.

A moment later, Steve drifted his eyes away from Cath for just a second to scan the room - just an old habit of his. But before he could bring his eyes back to face Cath, Steve saw something that caught his attention next to the entrance door of the restaurant. Not exactly something; more like someone.

He didn't get to see the person's face, as in an eye to eye view; he had only catch a glimpse of her right profile, but there was something very familiar in that woman's face and Steve could swear he knew it.. Then, he remembered the secluded beach and the USS Missouri. _Was that Kate?_ The woman in the blue dress walking out of the restaurant? He didn't see her while he was having dinner..

Maybe it wasn't Kate. He was a somewhat far from the door and there were many people at the entrance that maybe his eyes were fooling him. Even though he wasn't a hundred per cent convinced about that, Steve forced himself to believe it could be it. Because, if that woman was indeed Kate, then he would have to deal with another question and he didn't like that at all, and it was: Who on Earth was the guy in a tux, walking behind her with his hand pressed against the small of her back? No. He didn't even want to consider the possibility of going there.

**xxx**

When Kate got back into the silver Audi, she was dead quiet. She couldn't get the image of Steve and Cath, all smiley and holding hands. She was trying to not jump into conclusions but this time, the jealousy bug bit her hard.

Chris noticed the major change in her behavior and tried to get her talking to him but she wasn't exactly responsive, and he knew her just enough to know that that kind of silence meant one thing: it was personal business, and it was quite unlikely that she'd tell him.

He took them to another restaurant, far from Waikiki. That was the only thing Kate said after leaving.

.

"Do you have what I asked?"

After about half an hour just muttering '_yeah'_s and '_uhum'_s, Kate finally decided to speak again. But to Chris's disappointment, it was only to talk about work.

He had tried, but with no success, to talk about something else - anything else actually, but she had her mind made. Chris sighed in frustration.

"Yeah," he said weakly. Taking a flash drive out of the inside pocket of his jacket, he handed it to Kate, who took it immediately. "It's all here. They're separated; what is real from what are fake and planted information."

Chris watched her expression when she took the device. He saw a tiny little spark in her eyes but as fast as he noticed it, it was gone. She was serious again and Chris knew their business conversation wasn't over.

"Chris, there's something else we need to talk."

It was a quiet place, not as crowded as the Alii, so Kate didn't see why not talk about it where they were. Chris didn't mind about that place either so he made a gesture with his head, signaling that she could talk if she wanted to.

"The Five-0s found two Australians here in Oahu who also were in the Interpol list."

Chris nodded. He knew who she was talking about. "Ackleman and White."

"So you knew?"

Chris noticed that the tone she had asked that was a little harsh and he didn't like it. "No. I didn't know, but I found out. They were using different aliases and Hillborne didn't find. But when I heard that there were more people coming to Hawaii, I asked him to analyze the pictures of the passports. That's how I found out about them."

Chris's tone while explaining was also a little bit cold. He sort of regretted talking to Kate like that but not completely because even though he knew what she was doing -and that was drowning into work in order to forget whatever it was that happened - but he didn't accept the way she spoke to him. He felt like she was accusing him of something, and he really disliked that.

"Well, Ackleman is dead."

Kate blurted that without expressing any emotions whatsoever. Not that the death of someone like George Ackleman was a huge loss to society in general – actually, society was better off without him – but he couldn't believe how distant she had become.

"Dead? When? And how do you even know it?"

"Because he tried to kill me and an HPD Lieutenant."

Thank Heavens she decided to talk after they had already eaten and their glasses were empty, because Chris would have ended up in the ER if Kate decided to talk about that while they were having dinner.

"Holy crap, he did what?" Chris's eyes widened and his voice rose just a little. "Are you alright? Why you didn't mentioned this before?"

Kate just waved what she named an overreaction.

"Relax. I'm fine. Can't say the same about him, though.. But that's not why I mentioned it." Her calm tone was starting to get in his nerves. Chris knew how Kate could be irrational sometimes, especially when there were the life of others at stake. She was protective and would turn into an animal on occasion, and, even though he wasn't there when the incident with Ackleman happened, he had a fairly good idea that of why he was now at the morgue.

"Okay, what is it then?"

"It's about the other guy. White." Kate locked her eyes on Chris; she was trying to get any reaction that would tell if he was telling the true or not about the two Australian hitmen, but he didn't slip, so she decided he was telling the truth. "I went to a warehouse to check an address and he was there. Well, Ackleman was and that's how he got himself killed. He went after me and the other Officer, opened fire and got himself killed. But there he wasn't alone. There was someone else outside and he shot a second Officer that had arrived to give us backup. I couldn't get to see the guy and I don't know if he saw me. But he was hit."

Chris raised his hands in a sign for Kate to stop talking. Ackleman was dead. He went to a warehouse, do God knows what, and was killed. There was a second guy outside and he shot an HPD Officer and was now injured. What the hell was going on? He was working undercover but didn't know a damn thing about that.

After organizing his thoughts, Chris took a deep breath and looked at Kate. "Does the other guy knows that Ackleman is dead?"

Kate frowned. What kind of question was that? "No. He was outside. Ackleman died inside."

"I know! You mentioned that. What I'm asking is, is it possible that the other guy doesn't know if Ackleman is dead? The HPD informed anyone about his death?"

Now Kate understood where Chris was going with that. "No. I don't think so. You're planning something. What is it?"

She hadn't lost her fast and sharp mind, Chris thought to himself. He had something in his head, and if it worked alright, he would find out what else was going on that he didn't know.

"Look, I found out about Ackleman and White not with the Australians. So I need you to trust me when I say that I had no idea about what you just said. Warehouse, deposits, nothing. But, I'm thinking, there might be a way for me to get into it.. but to do so, I'm gonna need some help."

Kate sat straight on her chair. "I'm listening."

Chris explained his plan briefly and Kate listened carefully his words. She didn't move an inch, her breathing was so slow and she was barely blinking. All her attention was on Chris. And that crazy idea of his.

"So, what do you say?" he asked after long five minutes of talking.

"I think it's a good idea and it might work for both sides," said Kate thoughtful. If Chris's idea worked, not only the Five-0s could get rid of any threats, but the Interpol would manage to bring down his target - the number one on the hierarchy of the Australian Organized Crime.

"Will your team help?"

Kate inhaled deeply and pressed her lips together. "It's not my team," she replied harshly. "But I suppose I can arrange a meeting between you and them."

Chris nodded; it was good enough to him. If he managed to talk to Kate when she was acting completely elusive, then he shouldn't have much trouble talking to someone else.

"There's only one thing," said Kate and Chris sighed. It was too good to be true.

"And what is it?" he asked, not particularly excited to hear what she had to say.

"I'm in. I'll be an active part, and not just someone who'll sit on the backstage and watch. I am in." Chris closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Oh God, here they go..

"Kate, don't you-"

"Chris. I'm in."

Chris tried to reason her other three times but the success he had was always the same. Zero. Nada. Nilch.

"Alright. You got it," he said finally. He had given up on that fight - it was a lost battle. But not a lost war. "But you'll explain what the hell happened today." Kate switched on the chair but Chris kept going, ignoring that. "Because, in all honesty, we're going into a goddamn dangerous place, Kate, and you know it. So I need to know what's making you unstable." Her eyes met his and Chris felt that, if looks could kill, he would be dead right now. "Don't look at me that way. I need to know." Then, Chris's voice went softer, just like his body expression. There were things left unsaid and, maybe, it was time to let them be heard. "I know things aren't like they were between us, Kate. I don't have the illusion that you'll suddenly trust me again. I know you, and I know better than to expect that to happen over night. But if we'll make this work this time, then we'll have to be honest with each other and work on that.."

Kate swallowed hard. He knew he was right. If they didn't trust each other, and knew what their weak spots were, then things could get messy out there.

Sighing heavily, she let her shoulders fall, some of the tension leaving it immediately.

"I saw.. someone," she whispered poorly, then she raised her head and faced him again. Her eyes were dark but not threatening, and Chris understood what she was trying to say.

"From the past?"

"Sort of."

That was not a lie. Not completely. Steve was someone from her past. He was also someone from her present, but there was no need to mention that, not after what she had witnessed. She was confused and didn't want to talk about that.

"Kate.."

"That behavior you saw, it won't happen again. I'll focus on my work and if I came across that situation one more time, I'll know how to control it. I'm good. I'm committed to the job."

Chris looked at her with this dubious feeling in the back of his mind. He believed Kate was committed? Sure. But he also had a feeling she was at least a little bit compromised. He didn't have any proof or hard evidence to prove that, it was just a feeling, so he decided to let Kate win. After all, she gave him a second chance and they'd work together once more.

**xxx**

The possibility of having seeing Kate and a man just a moment ago made the smile that was on Steve's face vanished and it gave place to a frown.

"Something's wrong? Steve?"

"What?" He didn't hear Cath's question; he only notice she was trying to talk to him when she tilted her head to her left, getting a little in the way.

Cath turned to look at where Steve had his eyes fixed but didn't see anything. "Is everything okay?" she asked looking back at him. Now, Cath was the one with an eyebrow raised while Steve had this blank expression.

"Yeah," he replied quickly. "I just.. thought.. Never mind." Steve pushed those thoughts to the back of his head. He didn't want to think about that now, much less to talk about it.

Cath was still curious about what could have caused such drastic change in Steve's attitude but decided to not insist on that. Of one thing she was sure, whatever it was, it affected Steve in a way that she had never seen before. He was struggling with that and Cath could clearly see it.

About twenty minutes later, Steve and Cath were walking out of the restaurant. Steve seemed to be a little bit more comfortable and open, but not like they were while having dinner; Cath couldn't think of anything to say.

They were back to the small talk while Steve drove back to his place; after all, Cath's car was still parked in front of his house.

.

"So," Steve said about five long seconds after killing the engine of his truck in front of his place. "You want a coffee or something?"

His offer didn't have any second intentions or anything like it. It was just Steve being polite.

"Uh, no, thank you.. Not this time." Cath turned the offer down. She wasn't ready to try the whole 'being just friends' thing. Just because she had accepted what happened between them with some class, it didn't mean she was ready to take giant steps.

Steve was also quite glad she said no, because he was starting to feel the awkwardness of having to break up with someone.

Stepping out of his truck, he walked with Cath to her car.

"Thank you for the dinner," she said as they reached the sedan that belonged to Cath.

Steve didn't know how to respond to that.. "Don't mention it," he said after a moment thinking.

"Cath.." She was reaching for the door when Steve called her. Looking at him again, she could see what he was trying to say. That he was sorry that things happened that way, but it was necessary. He couldn't give her wrong and false hopes.

"It's okay.. I know," she said before he could say anything.

Cath had the door open and was about to step inside her car when she stopped and looked back at Steve who was still standing in front of her.

"She's a lucky woman." Cath's words caused Steve to raise an eyebrow.

"Sorry, what?"

"I think Kate is a lucky woman," she repeated herself, now using Catherine Taylor's nickname.

Steve didn't believe his ears at first. "How did you..?"

"I met her," Cath explained and couldn't help but smile when Steve turned to look at the house that was behind him, the back at her.

"You met Kate? When?"

"After I left the Five-0 Headquarter I came here to apologize with your sister. Then she invited me in and we talked for a long while. I was still here when Kate came." Steve still had this confused look in his face, which was quite funny, so Cath continued her explanation. "She just came to your place to change into clean clothes and then she ran back to work.." Cath thought to herself that there was no need in mentioning the nasty injury she had. Maybe Steve already knew, maybe he still didn't know so she decided to skip that part.

Honestly, Steve was still curious about the reason why Kate had to come home, but he just put that aside for a while. He would ask her personally once he got to his house.

"But how did you know about Kate..?"

"And you? Steven, like I told you, you are as subtle as a gun. Actually, I need to make a correction. You're as subtle as a rocket launcher.. While I was at your Office and you were talking to Kono, your face, your voice, your entire body when you couldn't get a hold on Kate gave you up."

Steve considered what Cath had said for a while and he had to agree, he was really worried about her.

"I see," he said, admitting in between the lines that she was right. About everything.

"Goodbye, Steve," said Cath; her eyes were starting to get wet, but lucky her, they only had the stars and the moon to illuminate them so Steve couldn't see it.

"Goodbye, Cath." Walking around the door that was standing in the middle, Steve closed the space between them and pulled Cath into one last hug. "Take care," he whispered in her ear.

Cath's heart skipped a beat and she had to use all of her strength and then some to not cry. "You too," she said in a low tone. When she disentangled herself from Steve's embrace, she changed her words.

"See you around, sailor." And with that, she got into her car, started the engine and left.

Steve watched as Cath's car disappeared when she made a turn to the right. It was a little of a bitter sweet situation. He was glad that he and Cath had that talk, but he was also a bit sad because Cath was a good friend.

But those thoughts were put aside when he thought about Kate. Turning his back to where Cath's car was parked seconds ago, he walked to his front door with long steps.

Inside the house was quiet and dark. He went through the rooms downstairs but it was all empty. But it made sense when he looked at his watch; it was 12:17 AM, and it was possible that Mary and Kate were asleep.

Steve walked upstairs and noticed both rooms had its doors closed. He considered walking into his own room for a while - Kate could be sleeping there and he didn't want to wake her up, or walk in unannounced. So he knocked. Once. Twice. Three times but not an answer. Steve stopped to think for a second. He could walk into his room, get everything he needed and leave without startling anyone.

He opened the door as quietly as possible, but, after doing it, Steve noticed how useless it was - the room was empty.

Steve frowned. Turning the lights on, he walked through the room. His first thought was to call Danny because he said he'd drive her home.. But then he saw something that made him forget about that instantly.

Steve had just took the towel that Kate had left on top of her luggage and saw the white T-Shirt that she was wearing when they left the house that morning - it was now red, covered in dry blood.

The alarms in Steve's head went off immediately and he ran to Mary's room. He pounded on her door for three times then walked inside.

"Mare, did you see Kate? Or talked to her?"

"Steve.. What the hell?" Her voice was a bit husky. Mary Ann was asleep.. until the rude interruption of her brother.

"Kate. Have you seen her?"

"No. I didn't.. Not recently," she said sitting upright on her bed. "But why the fuss over that?"

"Why the fuss?" Steve was now shaking something in front of her. "Mare, this is blood! A lot of blood."

Mary Ann rubbed her eyes, trying to send the sleep away for a second, and she saw what once was a plain white T-Shirt.

"Steve.. Calm down. That's from earlier today. Kate is alright."

Steve was nowhere near calm. He hated being told to calm down and Mary knew that. Knowing that any possibility of a calm night of sleep was long gone, she stood up and walked to Steve who had just left the room.

She reached him when he was back to his bedroom, his phone in hand, ready to call someone. Bracing herself for his reaction, Mary took the phone out of his hand and turned it off.

"Steve, stop." Mary foresaw what was coming when Steve's eyes turned darker and his face expression stiffened. "I understand you're concerned. Really, I get it. But this," she took the shirt out of his hands. "This isn't her blood. And as far as we know, Kate is just fine. Bad news fly, Steven. If she was hurt we would already know."

It didn't do much effect on him, so she turned his phone on again and called Kate. It took her a while to answer, but she did eventually.

"Kate, hey.. It's Mary Ann."

Steve tried to get the phone but Mary slapped his hands and put it away from him.

_"Oh, hey Mary. I thought it was your brother.."_

"Yeah, no. It's his phone though. So, where are you? Are you okay?" Those two questions asked, she pressed the speaker button so he could hear what would be her answer.

_"Yes, I'm great.. I'm having dinner, and I guess I lost track of time.."_

Mary looked at Steve, quietly telling him "I told you so".

"It's all good, relax. So, the spare key will be in the back of the house. Check under the armchair, in the lanai, alright?"

_"Thanks Mary. I'm sorry I bothered you.."_

Glaring at her now mute brother, she said calmly, "Relax, girl.. I was just wondering if you were alright.."

_"I'm great. And again, thank you."_

"No problem. Night, Kate."

_"Good night, Mary."_

Mary ended the phone call and tossed the phone back to Steve, who was silent.

"See. She's just fine."

Steve felt a little stupid for his behavior not five minutes ago.

"Yeah, I see.."

Flashing him a half smile, Mary tiptoed and kissed him on his cheek before leaving him alone with his thoughts. "Good night, Steve."

"Night, Mare."

.

Once Mary was back to her room, she couldn't help but smile with herself.

"Not fooling anyone, Steven.. Anyone.."

.

After Mary left and closed the door on her way out, Steve let his body fall back on the bed. He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. He had probably just made a fool of himself.

_God, this woman will be the death of me,_ Steve thought to himself as he ran his hands through his hair. _But I sure wouldn't mind_, he added in his head.

Rubbing his eyes with his hands, he just got rid of his shoes and turned on the bed. He didn't change his clothes because he was thinking about wait for Kate - just so she could have the bed and not the couch again, but the time passed by, and Steve fell asleep.

**xxx**

"Good night, Mary," said Kate ending the phone call.

She was waiting for Chris to return from the toilet when her phone rang. Kate thanked God for Chris's absence because the caller ID said it was Steve, and her heart skipped a beat. She almost didn't answer the phone but decided that it could be important, it was after midnight and something might have happened. But when she answered and heard Mary's voice instead of Steve, she felt glad, but also a little disappointed. Glad because she had no idea what would be her reaction when she saw him again - and that was inevitable; but sad because, deep down, she really wanted to listen to his voice..

Shortly after she put her phone back inside her clutch bag, Chris returned.

"Shall we?"

Looking at him, she noticed he was holding his car keys. He had probably paid the bill because it took him forever to return.

"Uh, I really think I should go back.. It's late."

"I'll give you a ride."

Chris was offering her a hand and Kate reached out and hold it. Standing up, they walked side by side til they were back outside.

"So, what's your hotel?" Chris asked on the way to his car, but Kate stopped on her tracks.

"I'm not at a hotel," she said a little bit shyly. "I'm staying at a friend's house."

"Oh! Then, you know how to get there? Because I don't know every street name and things like that.."

"Don't worry. I'll get a taxi," said Kate, brushing a strand of her hair from her face.

"Kate, it's late. Let me give you a ride."

Chris was still talking when she made a sign to a cab that was just driving by.

"I'll be fine, Chris." Kate was practically inside when she remembered something. "Oh! And I'll call you tomorrow when I get to set a meeting. Good night!"

"Kate, wait!" Chris tried to stop her, but she waved goodbye and the driver was already on his way to whatever it was the address she gave him.

He considered following the cab, but his car was still in the parking lot and by the time he was on the streets, she would probably be far as hell away.

"Damn you, Kate.."

Making a silent prayer in his head, Chris hoped she would be alright. He really disliked seeing her jumping on a cab. It was half past midnight and he just didn't like the idea of Kate with a stranger who could take her pretty much anywhere.

That's what he would say if anyone asked him why that face. The truth, on the other hand, would be that he didn't want to let her go.. He had spent six years away from Kate, and seeing her again made him realize he missed her. So much.

.

Kate gave the driver the address of McGarrett's house, and he said it would take a while because they were pretty far from there. She said it was cool, I mean, what else she could possibly say?

But the long ride gave her way too much time to think. And she could only think about seeing Steve and Cath holding hands at that restaurant.

Suddenly the air was too thick, her dress was too tight and her heart was too small. Kate couldn't go back to Steve's house. What if Cath was there? What if they both weren't there? What if she would have to put up a game face the next morning and deal with them?

Oh, there it was. She was overthinking, overreacting and worrying over something that didn't happen yet.

Breathing in and out repeatedly, Kate tried to calm herself. She needed to get her shit together and just be a woman. And it was working fine until she looked through the window and started to recognize where they were. They were about five minutes away from her final destination.

What happened next, Kate would never admit it out loud, but it was her scared side speaking louder.

It was 1:07 AM when she paid the cab driver for her long ride. Taking deep breaths, she walked to the door and knocked. They were almost at Steve's house when she gave the driver a new address, and there she was. Silently praying he still lived there, her face lightened up when the door opened.

"Kate? What are you doing here?"

Danny Williams was standing by the door, staring at Kate, who was right outside. His hair was completely messed up and he was wearing a white T-Shirt and boxers - clearly he was sleeping.. Until Kate appeared and, not only knocked on his door, but also called him, just to be sure he would be there.

Now there she was. Standing in the middle of the night at Danny's door. Kate wasn't running from Steve, from her feelings, from the inevitable.. she was just looking for a little break, maybe the calm before the storm.

"Hey, Dan.. I know it's late but.. Can I come in?"

. . .

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><p><em>So far, what are your thoughts on my story? I appreciate feedback or constructive critique, so feel encouraged to leave a comment or PM me. Mahalo everyone!<em>


	20. Chapter 20

**Aloha everyone!**

**Like always, thank you everyone who's still with me, everyone who has reviewed, favorited and alerted this story so far! You guys are awesome!  
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**H**ere's another chapter; I didn't do much edit on it and it might not be too much but I sure hope you all enjoy it! ****

****I encourage you all to tell me what you think of it because it helps me a lot, especialy when I'm very uncertain of it.. So, if you feel like helping me (which I would appreaciete greatly), leave a comment!**  
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**Disclaimer: **_Still **do not** own H50. Yeah, very sad.. I only own my OCs (and there are many OCs in this story) and my imagination._**  
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* * *

><p>Danny Williams was already asleep in his cozy bed when he heard two things at the same time and the perfect synchronization of his phone ringing and the knock on his door made him jump out of his bed immediately.<p>

Fishing for a shirt in his drawer, he went answering the door when whoever was calling, turned off.

It was one in the morning, and, whoever it was, better have one hell of a great excuse to get him out of his bed at that time.

Danny was well prepared to receive his unexpected visitor with a very warmth "Don't you know what time is it?" when his eyes recognized who the unexpected visitor was.

"Kate? What are you doing here?"

His voice wasn't harsh or cold or anything. To be fairly honest, he was sort of worried. What the hell happened that she was standing right there, in front of him and with this torn expression in her eyes.

She was smiling, of course, but Danny could see it was just a façade and she wasn't as okay as she was trying to look like.

"Hey, Dan.. I know it's late but.. Can I come in?"

"Of course. Please, come on in."

Danny didn't need to think, taking a couple of steps to his left and opening the door, he allowed her to get into his tiny apartment.

Once she was inside and he had locked the door, he started to wonder what happened. "Can I get you anything? Want some water?"

Gently turning Danny's offer down, Kate let her body fall weakly on his sofa-bed which was now just a sofa.

"I'm fine, but thank you."

_Fine? The hell she was fine_, Danny thought to himself when he walked to his sofa and sat by her side.

"What happened, Kate?" Danny asked softly as he reached for the clutch bag she was holding tightly. Once he released that poor object from being strangled by her bare hands, he took her hands in his and kept his eyes on her profile because she had her head down and wasn't looking at him. If he was still asleep, he didn't know. "Was it that Christopher Cahill? Because I can kick his ass if you want to. No one will ever know."

Kate raised her eyes and met Danny's. The first thing he noticed was that she was smiling in amusement.

"Would you really kick his ass if I asked you to?"

"Sure!" replied a very enthusiastic Danny.

"He's 6'3''," Kate said still smiling.

"Then I'll need a ladder, but no problem."

Kate chuckled. That's why she went there. Because in that Island, miles and miles away from her home, Danny was a very great friend, a brother almost. And that's what she was really looking for. She didn't have Jacob there, but she had Danny, and that was more than she could ask for.

"Thanks, but no.. It's nothing to do with Chris, which, by the way, I received his file."

"I'll check it later, now really, tell me what happened. What is bothering you?"

Kate sighed and shifted her gaze to her hands. How to say to Danny that the one thing that was bothering her was Steve McGarrett? She couldn't.. Right?

"Why did you come here, Kate? Shouldn't you be at Steve's?"

Kate raised her eyes to meet Danny's but she didn't hold the gaze much longer. "I should.. But I couldn't go there.."

There was some sadness built in her words and Danny was wise enough to not inquire her about it. Something involving Steve happened. What? He had no clue..

"What happened? I thought you'd have dinner with Christopher.."

"I did."

"Then why you didn't go back to Steve's place?"

"I.. I don't wanna talk about it, Dan.." Kate pulled her hands out of Danny's hold and sank back on his sofa-bed.

_Oh great. Well done, Steven. Very well done.._ That was exactly the kind of situation Danny was not looking forward to. Kate was his friend, just like Steve. But he couldn't help but feel more sympathy to the woman sitting on his sofa, and of course, his phone call was the reason she was there. Danny would kick his partner's big ass next morning, oh but he would..

Kate shut her eyes closed for a moment and realized how tired she was. She had a busy day and her body was begging for some rest. "Dan," she said opening her eyes after a while. "I know it's a lot to ask, but.. Can I stay here? Just for tonight?"

"Of course," said Danny in a heart beat; he could see the woman by her side was exhausted.

"Thank you, Dan." Kate flashed him a tired smile.

.

About fifteen minutes later, after borrowing some clothes from Danny and having a little argument about where she would sleep, Kate was comfortably lying on Danny's sofa-bed.

She still had many thoughts on her head, but she was too tired to even think, and Kate passed out less just seconds after her head touched the pillow.

.

Danny woke up the next day at seven thirty; he had slept in just a little, but wasn't that much worried about it. He'd make to the HQ in less than 30 minutes; his only concern was Kate.

He remembered the torn expression in her face last night; he had no idea what happened but was almost sure that they would have an awkward Tuesday..

The quietness in the apartment didn't go unnoticed. Danny took a quick shower and changed into his normal wardrobe - a dress shirt with a tie, trousers and shoes - before going to the room to check on Kate.

"Kate.. Kate?"

No answer, and it was quite obvious why that happened because when Danny got to the room, it was empty. The sofa-bed was back to the sofa position, the sheets were folded, just like the T-Shirt she used.

Danny's first reaction to that was a huge frown. Where could she possibly have gone? He didn't hear anything...

Then, his eyes fell on the piece of paper on the table. Taking it in his hands, he recognized the handwriting; it said:

_"Dan,_

_I had some things to resolve before work and I didn't want to bother you any further. Thanks for letting me stay at your place. I owe you. See you at the HQ._

_Kate."_

Danny let out a sigh. That note explained some things, but not everything. Actually, the questions he had later were just being replaced by new ones.

Taking his phone, he dialed her number as he went back to his room to get the keys to his Camaro.

_"Morning, Dan. Did you get my message?"_

"Hey. Good morning. Yes, I did.. Why you didn't call me?"

Danny knew that if he didn't get to know where she was, he would have a hard time. Not only because, as a cop, he wouldn't be satisfied with not knowing where someone he works with is, and also because Steve would yell at him, from here to Sunday if he didn't have an answer about her whereabouts.

_"Nah.. I just needed to do buy some things, it was no big deal."_

Well, at least she wasn't doing anything reckless.

"Okay.. I'm going to the HQ now, but if you need a ride, call me."

"Sure thing. Thanks, Dan."

Danny ended up the phone call when he was already leaving his place. Less than a minute later, he was on his way to the Five-0 Headquarters.

.

Kate had woken up before six o'clock. She had a fairly good night; no dreams, no nightmares, no nothing. Just a huge blackout over night and when she woke up, she was almost brand new; only two things were getting in the way: the painful, burning sensation she was still feeling on her abdomen, and flashes from last night. In all honesty, the memory of a smiling Steve during dinner with Cath was bothering way more than the injury on her left side.

She still had plenty of free time before having to report for duty so Kate decided to use that time to get a hold of her emotions, feelings and everything else.

So, calling the taxi driver she met the day she got to Oahu, Kate left Danny's apartment, for a ride and also to resolve some personal matters that were pending.

**xxx**

Steve woke up startled with the sun shining through the blinds of his bedroom. He didn't know when it happened but he fell asleep while waiting for Kate.

Looking at the clock on the nightstand, Steve came to realize he had overslept. Not that much because it's only 7:27 AM, but still, he jumped out of his bed, and before it was 7:45, he's showered, dressed and flying downstairs.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting to find, but what he saw was definitely a huge disappointment.

The place was dead empty and quiet. So much different than the other day when he woke up to Mary and Kate having a very talkative breakfast. He didn't miss the breakfast part; he missed the 'Mary and Kate' part.. Then, he walked to his lanai and looked for the spare key under the armchair - it was still there, in the same place Mary said it would be.

Kate never made home and that thought didn't bring much joy to Steve's morning.

Forgetting about breakfast and even coffee, he reached for his Silverado's key and rushed outside with his phone pressed to his ear as he tried to get a hold on Kate. Again.

"C'mon.. C'mon!"

The two times he tried to call her, it went straight to voicemail.

**xxx**

It was just a quarter after eight or so when Steve stormed through the door made of glass of the Five-0 headquarters.

He went to Danny's apartment after he left his place but no one was there. A phone call later, he learned that the blonde detective was already on his way to the HQ, so Steve drove as fast as he could to meet with him there.

"Danny, what happened?"

Steve had practically assaulted Danny's office door on his way inside the small room.

"What are you talking about?" asked Danny sitting back in his chair. He just going through the papers he had left on his desk the night before, not exactly paying attention, more like killing some time..

"I am talking about Catherine Taylor," Steve answered annoyed. "I woke up this morning and she had not came home, then I tried to talk to her; nothing. She was your responsibility. You said you'd drive her back, so I'm asking you. What. Happened."

Danny just watched Steve let out his frustration.

"Are you done?" he asked after about three seconds of quietness. Judging by the killer look that Steve addressed him, yes, he was done; at least for the moment. "Okay.. Now, _my responsibility_? Kate is a grown up. She's a thirty one years old woman. I wouldn't say she's my responsibility."

"You know what I mean," said Steve; his voice was calm, but it didn't sound that much friendly.

The atmosphere in Danny's office was kind of tense when they heard a knock on the door.

"Is everything alright around here?"

It was Kono. She got to the HQ practically with Steve, but no one saw when she walked into their workplace.

"Yes," said Steve, followed by a "no" that came from Danny; Kono furrowed her brows.

"Okay.. Uh- I just thought you should know that I have Kate on the phone.. and she wants to talk to everyone."

Danny and Steve exchanged a quick glance and with a short move of his head, Steve signaled her to come in.

"Go ahead girl, you're on speaker," said Kono, holding her phone between Steve and Danny.

_"Morning everyone."_ Kate's voice came loud and clear through the speaker and Steve breathed relieved._ "Sorry I'm late for work. Promise I'll get there as soon as possible.."_

"Where are you?"

There was a small hesitation after Steve's question. _"Shopping."_

"Shopping?" asked a very intrigued Kono.

_"Yeah.. I needed to buy some stuff, uh- personal needs.. Anyways, can we move on?"_

"**Please**," said Danny, shutting his eyes closed and gesturing with his hands. "I beg of you. Move on."

Kono chuckled with Danny's reaction. He didn't want any further information on that matter.

_"Okay. So, I've been informed that you were trying to get Cahill's file yesterday." _Steve wondered how she found that and most of all, he remembered he never knew if Kono and Danny got anything. He didn't need to ask because what Kate said next answered that unspoken question. _"And I think you didn't get anything, am I right?"_

"Yes," said Kono. "Christopher Cahill has a locked file.. But how did y-"

_"Danny may have mentioned it,"_ replied Kate. Suddenly, all eyes landed on the blonde detective; Danny was about to say the 'what?' that was very evident in his expression when Kate spoke again, and it was almost like she was right there, watching their reaction._ "But that doesn't matter. Let's not diverge, okay. The thing is, I requested the files myself and managed to have it sent to you."_

"Why did you do it?" asked Kono. She was quite confused why would she do something like that.. Isn't Cahill her friend?

_"Precaution,"_ she replied calmly._ "Also, I wondered you would do that so I decided to make things easier for everyone."_

"That's very considerate," said Kono.

_"I thought it would be.. Anyways, I asked my former boss to send me the files and I got them last night. Now, if you have a paper and a pen, or something else, you'll need my information to access it." _

Danny rushed to get something to write down Kate's information. "Okay, got it."

_"Great, cause I have to go now. I'll be there in a few.. Oh, by the way, don't leave the HQ, please. There's something we need to talk.."_

Kono, Steve and Danny frowned when she said that. What could that be? "Alright, we're waiting," said Kono to Kate and hang up.

She looked from Danny, to Steve and then back to Danny. Apparently, any arguments they were having before that phone call had been forgotten because they weren't trying to jump on each others throat again.

"We should check the file," said Steve checking the piece of paper with Danny's handwriting.

"Sure," agreed Danny quickly. "I'm very curious about this Cahill guy.."

.

All three of them were very curious about who he was, so they gathered around the smart table as Kono worked on the file.

As it was already expected, it was en encrypted file, and even though she was used to it, maybe because they had an Interpol file on his hands, this encryption was a bit more complicated than the usual. Kate had explained briefly how to do that, but it sounded easier than it actually was.

About twenty minutes later, they finally got to the content of the file. It didn't take more that five seconds after opening the file to something goes wrong.

When the picture popped and Danny turned to face Steve who hadn't say a single word or uttered any kind of sound, he noticed he his aneurysm face was back.

"What?"

Steve didn't answer. Hell, he didn't even hear it. His mind had gone off and he wasn't aware of practically anything except that photo.

"Oi! Steven? Hello!"

Slowly, Steve turned to face Danny and Kono, who were staring at him with this unsure look on their faces.

"Something wrong, boss?" asked Kono carefully. The times she'd seen that look, bad and wild things happened.

"This guy," said Steve emotionless. "I've seen this guy before." He just didn't mention he had seen him just the night before. At the Alii's.

**xxx**

It was 9:11 AM when Kate finally left the place she had spent the last two hours or so. A car dealership.

Her "personal needs" was a car. She needed wheels, now she had them and was already on her way to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Kate had just spoken with Kono, Steve and Danny and was going to get Chris so they could discuss his little idea.

.

"Wow.. I guess if our plan fails, we can ask James Bond to help us," said Chris walking out of the hotel; his eyes fell on the brand new dark silver Aston Martin V12 Vantage parked right in front of the hotel entrance.

The vehicle was drawing some attention because there were a few people hanging around and staring at it.

"Well, let's hope the plan works just fine," said Kate as she pulled a key from her clutch bag and, pressing a button, turned the alarm of the Vantage off. "Because I hardly believe that 007 is gonna show up."

"Woah.. Is this yours?" asked Chris stepping closer to the car with this childlike look in his eyes.

"Yes. Now stop drooling or you'll gonna have a nice long walk."

"No way.. Can I drive?"

Kate had just opened the driver's door and was about to put a foot inside but she stopped. "Sure," she said stretching the arm she was holding the keys over the car.

"Really?" Chris was already reaching for the keys when she pulled them back.

"Of course not, now let's go," she with a huge grin on her face that Chris didn't see because she already inside. "C'mon! We've got work to do."

Kate pulled out of the parking lot, and was back to the streets. Even though she was incredibly happy with her purchase, she wasn't feeling that excited while driving that speed machine.. _Why?_ Because she was heading to the Five-0 headquarter. And to Steve McGarrett.

**xxx**

"Okay. Mr. Model here is clean as a whistle," said Danny after fifteen minutes they spend digging every single detail that they could find.

By "Mr. Model" he meant Christopher, and 'clean' was the one and only conclusion they got after they went through Christopher Cahill's file.

Three years working for the Police Department of California until he joined the SWAT for two years. After that he had two invitations to become an Interpol Agent. He declined the first, but accepted the second, six months later.

Eight years working with the Interpol and Cahill had an extent file. He worked on many operations all over the globe, but only a few undercover. As they expected to find, he worked in Australia, 2005.

There were no charges against Cahill, or any serious investigation. He wasn't the perfect Agent, but he was pretty good.

"Maybe the file isn't complete. Maybe they're keeping the bad stuff out of it." That would be Steve speaking. And it wasn't like him to behave like that, so Kono gave him a frown.

"With all due respect, boss, I don't know if I agree with you.. I mean, there are some bad things here.."

There were records of men killed in action on missions he was the man in charge, some unsuccessful operations and even an investigation on him. He wasn't convicted, on the other hand, he was considered innocent but, in any case, that's not exactly the kind of information you keep on someone's file if the intention is to try to cause a perfect first impression.

"Let's just keep an eye on him. Things ended up badly the last time we trusted completely." Steve was referring to his so called friend, who sadly enough shared the same last name with Kate. Nick Taylor.

Kono nodded. "Alright, I'm cool with that," she said with a small grin. He wasn't exactly a suspect so she didn't feel bad to admit to herself that Christopher Cahill was a very, very good looking man.

.

They were still gathered around the table when the glass doors went open and the sound of heels against the marble floor got to their ears. Turning to face the visitor, Kono, Danny and Steve found themselves looking at, not only one, but two figures.

Kate and Christopher were walking side by side towards them.

.

It took Kate full two minutes for her to get the courage to turn the engine off, step out of the car, walk along the sidewalk the into the building, up the stairs and get to the HQ. She still wasn't sure how to deal with Steve and she needed that time to get her heart beatings in control. Damn, it never happened to her! Not even when she was in the middle of a shooting! She was always calm and focused, but now.. The simple thought of being in the same room with Steve McGarrett was sending her to the edge.

Christopher, who stood by her side the whole time, couldn't not notice her very unusual behavior. He even asked her if something was wrong, but she didn't answer. In fact, he thought that, if she tried to say something, she'd either puke or pass out. Kate was naturally a pale woman, but she looked even paler, and he just stood by her, ready to act if something happened.

Eventually, she put all those crazy things that were taking over her behind a wall, stopped being a girl and started being a woman. A professional woman. Of course a professional woman would not ignore who she's working with, but his stare was annoying her so she decided to do it anyways.

"Look who's finally here," said Kono with a cheerful voice when Kate approached them.

"Hi, Kono." Kate smiled and hugged the Asian girl. "Sorry I'm late.. I had some things to resolve first.."

"I see," said Kono, loud enough so Kate was the only one to hear it.

"Shut up," she whispered to Kono, then her eyes flickered quickly to Danny and Steve. "Hi guys." They had just muttered a 'hi' in response when she continued to talk. "This is-"

"Cahill," said Danny, cutting her speech and offering him a hand. "Yeah, we heard about you."

"Chris, this is Detective Danny Williams," said Kate introducing them.

"Nice to meet you," Chris said as he shook hands with the blonde detective.

"Nice to meet you too," Danny replied politely.

"This is Officer Kono Kalakaua," Kate said pointed the Asian girl right by her side.

"Kono.. That's a pretty name," said Cahill shaking hands with her. She could see he had his most charming smile on, which caused her to roll her eyes.

"Thanks," said Kono with a smile too.

"And this is Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett." Kate held her breath when she turned to face Steve. His face wasn't showing any emotions whatsoever and she felt her heart sank.

"Hi," said Chris, his hand in position for a handshake like he did with everyone.

Steve had his eyes locked on Kate and his face didn't ease, but he reached for his hand and shook it. "Hi. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," replied Chris.

Kate noticed that Steve was using a little extra and unnecessary strength on that handshake.

After that awkward moment, Kate was quite lost. She had no idea what to expect from that meeting, and was practically wishing for the Earth to open under her feet and drag her down when Kono spoke again and eased the mood. She thanked Heavens for Kono's existence.

"So," said Kono with a cheerful voice. "Look at you, very fancy.." Kono was talking about her wardrobe. Kate was wearing the navy blue wrap dress, black pumps and her clutch bag. "Do you plan to run after guys with those killer heels?"

"I can work them," replied Kate with a half smile.

But Kono was not the only person to pay attention to that little detail that was her clothing. Steve was looking at it too, and his mind went bananas. He suddenly realized that the woman, by the door, at the restaurant, it was Kate, and the guy in the tux was Christopher Cahill. And now they were there and she was the same dress he saw last night.

Steve's head was hurting.

.

"So, there's something I'd like to talk to you," said Kate after a while. "It's about the Australians."

Suddenly, everyone was paying extra attention to what she was saying. Even Steve, who was still working on accepting Christopher's presence in his very own territory.

Before they get to the main part, Kate just throw a small recall, just so everyone know at what point they all were, and then, Chris starts to talk about his plan.

It's quite simple to be honest, but he'd need assistance.

He didn't know what the Australians were after when they were after Kate and Chris into the warehouse. Everyone went a lot serious when he mentioned that part because they were now aware of the shooting..

Then he got to his idea - after some researching, he found out they still didn't know about Ackleman's death, and, hopefully, that would be their leverage.

Chris was thinking about using the dead man to get to the powerful people inside the criminal organization and eventually, to the Interpol main target - Richard Fairbanks.

Finally, they reached the small "_but_" that Chris's plan had..

"But I'll need Ackleman's body. Untouched."

Earlier that morning, Kate had called the Medical Examiner, Max Bergman, and when she found out he hadn't performed the autopsy yet, she asked him - maybe not so kindly - to stay away from that corpse, so she knew it was still whole.

"Wait, I'm not following.. Why would you need his body?" asked Danny intrigued.

"Because they don't know he's dead yet. So, with his body and knowing he was after the content of that deposit, then maybe I can get into what they are planning.."

"Maybe?" That was Danny again. The 'maybe' part wasn't exactly reassuring to him..

"Yes. Maybe. It's not certain, but it's our best shot."

A blanket of silence fell upon the five people standing at the room. They weren't sure about giving up on a potential source of information for a 'maybe' possibility. It was quite crazy..

"How do you expect to do it?" asked Kono after a moment. "I mean, you mentioned you didn't know about the deposit.."

"There will be a party or something like it in a few days, and I heard that the man who sent Ackleman and White will attend it. He's also the Interpol target. Richard Fairbanks. He's a high leveled member in the Organization and with a rap sheet that's bigger than the Chrysler Building.. In any case, he'll attend it and, if everything goes right, then odds are that I'll be able to speak with him directly."

Except for Chris, no one inside that room knew who the hell was Richard Fairbanks, not even Kate, so shortly after he mentioned the name, Kono was already looking for any information on him - turns out Chris was right. Fairbanks wasn't a famous name, but he was allegedly responsible for over a hundred murderers, not to mention his connection with every single activity of that criminal fellowship.

"How is this guy free?" asked Danny, staring at the information on the screens in front of him.

"No one was able to link him directly to any accusation.. And the guy is clever, well informed and very elusive. Which is a crappy combination when it comes to criminals." Chris sounded very annoyed while talking about that man.

"Alright. But under one condition," said Steve speaking for the first time after he and Cahill were introduced.

"I didn't think you would accept it just out of the kindness of your heart," said Chris.

"I want us in." Steve's request didn't surprise Chris not one bit. It was quite obvious that he would want that. "If Fairbanks is somehow related to what happened to Kate and Chin at that deposit, then we're in. I don't care what it takes."

Chris couldn't not notice Steve's strong Alpha personality showing up. It was evident that he was a natural leader and he cared for his team.. Also, it was pretty clear that Kate was also part of his team given the tone he used to it.

"Fair enough," agreed Chris Cahill. He knew it would be useless to argue with that man; it would take them no where and it would only add tension to the already awkward moment. "Sure I'll have to communicate it to my superior but I don't think it'll be a problem."

Steve nodded. Then he turned to talk to Kate for the first time ever since she introduced him to Cahill. "May I have a word with you?"

It was the second time that he asked for a private word with Kate in what, 24 hours? It was becoming a habit and she didn't get used to that. She felt the blood left her face and her heart rate increased; a rush of adrenaline suddenly took over her system and Kate couldn't decide if she felt worried or terrified.

"Alright," she whispered, trying to sound confident but knowing she failed miserably on that.

Steve and Kate walked away from Danny, Kono and Chris towards his office. Once they were inside, Steve looked back to the small crowd that had their eyes fixed on them; he found Cahill's eyes and closed the blinds, not allowing them a glance into the office.

.

"So, what exactly just happened?" asked Chris, who was still standing where they were with Kono and Danny.

"I have no idea," said Danny. Then added on his head: _"And I'm not looking forward to find out.."_

The memory of Kate last night when she knocked at his door in the middle of the night returned; the torn expression in her eyes and the way she waved him off when he asked about why she wasn't at Steven's place.

He still couldn't connect the dots about last night's events, but, as time was passing by, Danny couldn't not consider that, anything that happened last night, it was somehow connected to McGarrett.. He just needed to figure out what was it exactly.

. . .

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** Well, I think I mentioned this before, but I feel like I should warn you all again. I'm gonna change the Rate to M pretty soon now (maybe in two, three, maybe four chapters, it actually depends on my brain..), so, just a heads up..  
><em>

_So far, what are your thoughts on my story? I appreciate feedback or constructive critique, so feel encouraged to leave a comment or PM me. Mahalo sailors!_


	21. Chapter 21

**Alohaa!**

**Like always, there are a few things I like to say: Do not own H50. This chapter is a bit different from the others. Again, I didn't do much edit on it so if you find anything weird, I take full responsibility. I promised someone somthing and I hope it wasn't super frustrating **;)** Feedback is highly appreciated!** **It helps me to know if you people like it or not, and it makes me update faster.. or not. ** And I'd like to say a _huge thank you_ to everyone who's still with me, everyone who has reviewed, favorited and alerted this story so far.********  
><strong>**

**So, new chapter is here and I'm fairly pleased with it. I hope you all enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing :)**

* * *

><p>Any relieve that Steve could possibly have felt when he saw Kate walking into the Five-0 headquarters vanished when two things caught his attention: the navy blue dress and the man walking behind her.<p>

He now didn't have a doubt that Kate was the woman he saw at the Alii's and, if he was honest enough, he would admit that acknowledging that fact made his heart ache. He fought so hard with his subconscious, which was starting to picture different scenarios in his head and he wasn't ready for any, especially because they all revolved around the same thing, the fact that she was still wearing the same dress and she never returned to his place.

It was an affront to his pride as a man to have Christopher Cahill there with Kate, but as a Five-0, he had to suck it up and hear what he had to say, because whether Steve liked it or not, that Interpol Agent could indeed help them.

Turns out, Cahill was very clever and bright; he had a crazy and potentially problematic idea, but, even with all the risks and everything, it was still a good plan.

Steve heard it all quietly, not saying a single word as he explained what he had in mind. Every now and then his eyes flickered to Kate; she was just standing there, her face wasn't showing any emotions that he could read and not looking at anywhere but the smart table, like it was the most interesting thing ever. It was childish, but sort of made Steve feel a little better, to know that Chris wasn't getting any extra special attention. Also, no one could possibly know what was going on Steve's mind so he didn't feel bad about it.

He did his best to cope with Chris's presence there, but when it was evident that he had said everything, Steve didn't feel guilty of his next move.

"May I have a word with you?" he spoke directly to Kate. Maybe he was a little too harsh because Kate had her alert mode full throttle when he asked that.

"Alright," she replied, and Steve noticed the hesitation in her voice. But it ended there; Kate went straight to his office and her movements were very steady.

Steve followed her closely and after he joined her inside the small room, he turned to look back at Danny, Kono and Chris who were standing exactly where they were when he left. Steve's eyes met Cahill's and, for a split second, he thought he'd seen something in his eyes and, before closing the blinds, a ghost of a smile appeared on his face - Christopher Cahill wasn't happy with that. And if he was right, then he was a little glad.

.

Kate walked with Steve to his office; the feeling of being trapped inside that little space was back, but when she saw him closing the blinds, it caused her to shiver, not because any cool breeze - because there weren't any - but because she was experiencing a little moment of panic.

And it didn't get any better when he finally turned to face her. Steve's eyes were incredibly blue and she thought she'd never seen eyes that were more beautiful than his; of even a man more dazzling that Steve for that matter. He was just too dreamy; Kate cursed herself for going into that god forsaken dangerous zone, but she couldn't help it - deep down, she didn't want to help it.

Steve was standing about five steps away from Kate; the distance was just a reminder that they were there for a reason, and he needed to focus. He didn't know where to begin and his mind was a mess, like a hurricane happened in there, but he did his best when he spoke again, trying to keep his voice low because they knew that the acoustic was against them.

"Will you explain what's that?"

It took Kate a few seconds before she understood he was talking to her. Bringing herself back from the depths of Steve's blue eyes, she shook her head quickly just to push those thoughts aside.

"What was what?"

"Don't do it," said Steve, his voice was a little cold. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Truth was, Kate had no clue what he was talking about. To her, Steve was making no sense whatsoever.

"Well, obviously I have no idea what you're talking about, otherwise I wouldn't ask.. So, if you expect me to answer to your question, then I suggest you to work on it just a little bit better."

Kate took a long deep breath after saying it; she was talking so incredibly fast and it all came out with a tone that was as cold as Steve's.

She regretted being so harsh, but she didn't say it out loud nor let it show on the surface, and that was probably the best decision she could have made. Kate was upset because she saw Steve with Cath the night before and she didn't get why he was treating her like that, but she knew, or at least she should know, that when things get personal, it can also get so incredibly messy.

"Are you serious?" Steve took a tiny step further, shortening the distance between them but still standing far enough from Kate. "I am talking about that!"

He was pointing straight to where Kono, Danny and Chris were, at least until Steve closed the blinds. Now he couldn't possibly know if they were still there..

"What about it, Steven? If there's something you wanna say, then say it! Because I can't get inside your head and see what's in it, dammit!"

The low and quiet tone that both Steve and Kate were using when that conversation started was long gone, just like that safe distance between them. As Kate yelled those last words, she took four long steps forward, so that she was dangerously close to Steve. And they noticed that they should be putting up one hell of a show. Or at least Kate did, because she decided, for the sake of that investigation, of the respect that existed between them and God know what else, that she should back down, at least for now.

"You know what? No. Don't say anything.." Taking two steps back and turning her back to Steve, Kate inhaled deeply and counted to ten slowly in her head. She needed to calm down, and most of all, she needed to be a professional, because even though she was trying to fool herself that her anger towards Steve was just because he was playing some psychological games with her and not spitting whatever he wanted to say about that - whatever "that" was - she knew that it was also about what she saw last night. And she shouldn't let the personal side mix with the professional, she couldn't let her feelings show, at least not there.

When she was still an Agent in training, Kate learned that letting your feelings and emotions show can get you hurt, even killed sometimes, so she should turned them off, not let it show, but right now, that was all that was happening. She was all emotional and less the Agent she was trained to be. And she needed to get a hold on that because whether she liked it or not, she was there for the job, and it was her number one priority.

"Here, take this." Kate had finally turned to face Steve. She had a flash drive in her hands and she placed it on his desk. "In this device you'll find the fake information the Australians planted, along with what's real. If you allow a suggestion, I'd say that you should ask Kono to cross this information with everything you and Danny found on the content of the deposit. It might be helpful. And now, if you don't mind, I have to go."

Once again, Kate didn't let a cue to Steve say anything; she just kept talking and talking, and by the time she finished, she closed the clutch bag she had in her hands, where she was keeping the small flash drive, and with long and determined steps, she crossed the room, walking to the door. But Steve's hands made her stop before she reached it.

"Wait, Kate.."

She barely turned to look back at Steve; letting go of his grip, she just shook her head in a negative sign.

"Not now," she said; it came a little colder than Kate had planned. "Maybe later," she added in a softer tone, right before opening the door and walking out of his office.

Once out, she noticed that Kono, Danny and Chris were still where by the table. Their attempt to pretend they were working on something went downhill when Kate just asked if Cahill was staying or coming.

By the time Steve got to his office door, he could only see Kate's back walking out of the building.

**xxx**

After Steve and Kate locked themselves on Steve's office, Kono, Danny and Chris didn't know exactly what to do and then things became more hostile in there.

The three of them were just about to get the hell out of that place when suddenly everything went dead silent. Danny and Kono exchanged a glance, searching for something that would explain it but they couldn't possibly know, then, they looked at Chris Cahill. He seemed as clueless as they were but there was something else.. Something they couldn't identify either. But it all vanished when the door went open.

Suddenly, Kono, Danny and even Chris were trying to look busy, like they were doing something useful with their time and not just overhear what was going on inside Steve's Office.

"Are you coming or what?" Kate asked and Chris knew she was talking to him.

Without a word, he followed her steps - it didn't seem a wise option to try to talk to her; her last attempt of a conversation ended up quite badly..

.

Danny and Kono just watched as Kate walked out of the Five-0 headquarters. She didn't seem very cheerful, nor Steve for that matter. When they looked back at his office, they noticed he was standing by the door, his eyes locked on the glass doors that Kate had just walked through.

Much like Christopher, Danny and Kono decided to embrace that awkward silence. It was incredibly uncomfortable but they didn't know what to say.

After a few seconds that felt like full weeks, Steve left the place where he was standing ever since Kate left to meet with Danny and Kono.

Putting the flash drive on the USB entrance, Steve was determined to focus on the job, even though his mind was far from it.

"Uh- boss? What's this?" asked Kono when she saw the device and then following his fingers as he worked on that himself; she also noticed that he was using more strength than necessary as he typed on the touch keyboard.

"I just got this flash drive. Supposedly, all the fake information planted by the Australians, along with the real threats are here.."

"Supposedly?" asked Danny squinting.

"I can't tell for sure if I don't see it myself," replied Steve not so calmly, what caused his partner to frown.

"I'm sorry but.. When did you get this?" Kono asked curiously. Steve hadn't mentioned that earlier so she was intrigued.

"Just now," he said emotionless. "Kate left it on my desk."

Danny and Kono looked at each other immediately; concern written all over their faces. Like always, Danny was the one to intervene.

"Okay, stop. Right now. Stop. STOP!" He had to yell at Steve so he could listen to him and do as he was saying. Steve glared at him but Danny chose to ignore it, like he did the most part of the time. "Now, step away from the table before you crash it.. I'm seriously, Steven," added Danny when Steve just stood there, staring at him.

They held each others glare for a while, until, for the first time Danny could remember, Steve backed down first.

"Alright," he said through his teeth as he took a step back, away from the table.

"Great. Now in my office, please."

Addressing Danny a killer look every now and then, Steve went to Danny's office. Not that he had much of a choice because the blonde detective was literally ushering him towards it.

Kono didn't wait for a formal invitation and took Steve's place immediately and continued to work on that. She didn't even bother having her lunch break even though it was almost noon already. It would be nice to know which threats were real and which weren't.

.

"Alright," said Danny once they were in his office. He had closed his door, but not because he was trying to keep it between them. No. Honestly, Danny was pretty sure things would get a little louder in there, but Kono was part of the team, and, sooner or later she'd find out so he wasn't trying to keep her away from this. It was just a habit. "You'll explain to me exactly what is going on, and you'll do it now."

Steve had been pacing, but when he heard Danny's words, he stopped and turned to face him, and the blonde noticed his eyes weren't friendly.

"Danny, don't. I'm telling you. Don't. You don't wanna go there."

Even though everything that was coming from Steve, even the air he was breathing, felt like a threat, Danny didn't back down.

"I don't wanna go there? I'm already there. Been there for a while.. So, I'm sorry, but you don't get to say that. No. I don't care what you think or feel. This is going to affect all of us. Now you better start talking."

"Or what? What will you do, Danny?"

That's where he didn't want to get. Danny didn't want to fight with his partner because it was crazy and pretty stupid, but, if he had hopes to get things right, then he would have to do it. He'd have to pry into his life - and he disliked that so much.

"I won't do anything to you, McGarrett. I won't have to. Because you'll do it yourself."

"What the hell are you talking about? What is that supposed to mean?"

"I am talking about Kate. And I am talking about you. And I am talking about the shit that's about to happen if you don't work on this!"

Danny couldn't hold it any longer. After last night, he knew things were this close to turn into a huge mess and he just needed to do something, because it was so incredibly clear that neither Kate, nor Steve would just suck it up and face what was happening. They were two goddamned proud and stubborn human beings.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Steve avoiding the subject and his partner, bringing himself to look elsewhere.

Danny raised both eyebrows in disbelief. "You have no idea what I'm talking about.. Great." He chuckled while repeating Steve's words, but he wasn't the least bit amused. Not at all.

It pissed Danny so damn much when Steve did that. It was so annoying that made him want to punch him right in the face. But he didn't. Instead, with all the will power he could gather, he pinched the bridge of his nose and counted til ten slowly in his mind. It didn't help much but it was worth a try.

"Okay," Danny said after a while. "You don't know what I'm talking about. So maybe - just maybe - we should talk about something you know, right?" Steve turned to look at Danny, not sure what to expect. "Like, what happened last night," Danny said, and judging by his tone, he was also saying that Steve was well aware of that.

"What about last night?" asked Steve with a huge frown. "Nothing happened last night."

Of course it wasn't true. He had dinner with Cath and then there was that little episode on the restaurant, but Danny didn't know about it.. Right?

"Oh, really? Nothing happened last night? Then.. Well, help me understanding just one little thing that's still just a teensy bit confused in my head.. WHY ON EARTH CATHERINE TAYLOR ENDED UP AT MY DOOR AT ONE IN THE MORNING?"

Steve's eyes widened and his jaw dropped open when he heard that.

"Excuse me?" he asked mechanically, because he had heard quite well what Danny said because he didn't say it.. he yelled it.

"Oh, so you're def now? Last night, at one in the morning, I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on my door.. Imagine my surprise when I opened it and I saw Kate. Standing right there. In the middle of the night. And imagine how the surprise grew bigger when I asked her _'why aren't you at Steve's?'_ and she answers that she couldn't go there and then she asks me if she can stay in my place for the night. So. I'll ask again and, please, pay attention: WHAT. THE HELL. HAPPENED. QUESTION MARK."

Steve listened to all that quietly. He didn't say a word, made a sound or anything while Danny was talking. The amount of information he was getting was overwhelming and when Danny finally finished, he couldn't do much that look at his partner as his brain worked to process all that.

Danny's eyes were fixed on the man in front of him. The ex-SEAL appeared to be speechless for the first time, and it would make Danny celebrate if he wasn't waiting for an answer that, apparently, would take forever.

"What, are you having a stroke now?" asked Danny after what he considered a long while.

Even Kono who was working on that flash drive glanced every once in a while at Danny's office because, suddenly, it went so quiet that if a bug was flying in there, she could hear it from where she was.

"What.. What did you just say?" said Steve finally. Danny rolled his eyes with the little patience that was left. "Kate went to your place last night? You let her in?"

"Dear Lord, have mercy on me and on the soul of this man in front of me," whispered Danny annoyed. "Yes. Steven. Of course I did. But you still didn't answer my question."

Steve went mute again to Danny's despair. But he didn't really mind. Danny could go crazy, but Steve was putting some pieces together.

Kate never made home, but, unlike he was thinking until now, she didn't spend the night with Christopher. Of course he still didn't know what she was doing with him at that restaurant, but Catherine Taylor did not spend the night with Christopher Cahill. According to Danny, she was at his place.. wait-

"She spent the night at your apartment?" asked Steve after another moment of silence.

".GOD. Yes. She did." Danny's tiny patience was long gone, but nothing he did would get Steve's attention back to him. He seemed too caught up with his own thoughts.

Part of him was glad that to know that there was a possibility that Kate and Chris weren't together. But he wasn't completely satisfied with that. Why she went to Danny?

Raising his eyes, Steve looked at his partner.

"Why she stayed with you? Why she went after you? Danny.."

Great, Danny thought to himself as he heard Steve's nonsense. Now it's me..

"I don't know. Okay. She just showed up. I let her in."

"And spend the night.."

Danny's eyes widened and his face went black. He could not believe his ears. "Oh, for God's sake, Steven! Don't be ridiculous! She's my friend. Nothing else. Now quit stalling and tell me what did you do."

Danny's eyes told Steve that it was for the best that he just explained his night. So, a little against his will but not that much, he finally told his partner what happened last night.

"I don't know what you expect me to say, but, honestly, nothing happened. After I left here, I went home, took a shower, then went out to have dinner with Cath, came home, Kate never showed up."

Danny's eyebrow rose again.

"And that's it?"

"Yes, Danny. That's it. We were at the Alii's and I was hav-"

"Woah.. You were at Alii's? _With Cath?_"

Steve didn't get Danny's strong reaction to that. "I believe that's what I just said, Danny.."

Then it was time for Danny to go speechless.

Last night, when he drove Kate to the Hilton where she'd meet with Cahill and have dinner, he remembered telling her to text him where she would be, just in case things happened. And so she did.

Danny had just parked his Camaro in his garage when his phone went off; Kate had sent a text saying she was at the Alii's. Then later, right after he showered, he received a second message saying she was now at a restaurant named Lani. Even though she had just told him she had changed one of the best restaurants in Oahu for another that was also pretty good, but not the best, Danny didn't gave that much thought but now, it was making perfect sense.

Kate should have seen Steve and Cath. And that's what was bugging her ever since.

Then, Danny shifted his eyes back and they locked on Steve. He was quietly calling him an idiot for not seeing what was right in front of him.

"I knew you were a challenging person when it comes to feelings, emotions and everything that makes us humans.. I just didn't know you were emotionally constipated."

Steve furrowed his brows at that comment. "Why are you insulting me? Why?"

"Because you're an idiot! That's why! I told you - no, I begged you. Please. Do not play the heartbreaker with Kate, and what you did? The very opposite of what I said!"

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose again. Dear Lord, they were screwed. Only a miracle would get them out of that awkward situation.

"Wait a minute.. This is crazy, you know that?" said Steve defensively. He had some idea of what Danny was saying but he didn't quite agree with that. "I mean, maybe Kate saw me and Cath in that restaurant, but then what? She was with Christopher!"

"Wait, how do you even know that?" asked Danny curious.

"Because I saw them too. Okay. I saw Kate and Christopher. Well, actually I wasn't sure of what I've seen, and I had no idea he was with her, but I saw them. And they were there together."

"Of course they were together! She had asked him that stupid information that Kono is now working at and she went have dinner with him because she would get it!" Danny rubbed his temper. He could only wonder how a shrink could live with that..

"But why, Danny? Why to have dinner with him? She could just get that some other time!" said Steve. And he thought he had a nice argument, but after hearing Danny's response to that, he knew he have had misjudged everything. And he felt even more stupid than last night, when Mary called Kate.

"Kate couldn't wait. When she heard about the possible attack targeting the HQ, she freaked out. She just wanted to get that answer as soon as possible, and Cahill was the only one who could help her with that."

Danny explained it very calmly so Steve could understand and see that it was all because of how Steve and Kate were playing that stupid game that didn't taking them anywhere, on the other hand, it just took the straight to that discussion they had earlier.

Steve's silence told Danny that he got the message. He knew that, even though he was trying to classify that as a personal matter, it wasn't so personal, given the fact that it was affecting their work now. And if they would continue to work together, then they would have to set some things. And Danny's next words were exactly the same Steve was thinking.

"You two need to talk." Danny made a pause and looked deep in his partner's eyes. "And you need to stop playing and take a stand."

"I never played, Danny," said Steve a bit defensive. He didn't like the way that sound because he never did such thing, and he did take a stand. "Last night, I broke up with Cath."

Steve didn't know why exactly he said that to his partner, but the fact is that he did. And Danny's reaction to that brought that half smile that was so typical of him, back to his face. Danny was staring at him; his eyebrows raised, his mouth was slightly open and his neck was a little forward.

"You what?" Danny's words expressed the disbelief that was taking over him. The thought that that situation could have been avoided with just one simple conversation made Danny want to quit.

"I did.. I'm not with Cath anymore.." It was weird saying that out loud, especially when Danny was the one hearing it, but Steve repeated his words. He was also feeling a lot lighter.

"I know, I get that," said Danny, sounding a little annoyed. "What I don't get is why are you saying it to me, again, and not to the person who needs to hear it."

**xxx**

Shortly after Kate left the Five-0, she drove back to the Hilton. Chris didn't say a word, and if it wasn't for his continuous glances to check if she was alright or didn't want to talk, it would be like he wasn't even there.

He didn't argue when she stopped in front of the hotel and said she needed to do some things - he knew it was a lie and what she really needed some time alone.

"Okay," he said simply as he opened the door and put one foot out. "Call me if you need anything, alright?" Kate just nodded and didn't even bother when he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Take care, okay."

Looking at Chris, Kate just muttered a very weak and not convincing 'okay'.

Chris just watched as she put her car back on the street and the distance between them grew incredibly fast. Now that she had a very powerful car and so many conflicted emotions held inside, Chris feared for her life more than when he heard about the shooting.

.

Now that she was finally alone, Kate decided to go to the one place in that island where she knew she would have some space.

After driving Chris back to his hotel, she called Don Reynolds. And that's why she was now parking her Aston Martin in the parking lot that belonged to the Navy.

"Hey, Zona."

That old and familiar voice was like music to her ears, and his stretched arms that welcomed her into a hug were like home.

"Don.."

"What happened, darling?" he asked still holding her.

"Work stuff," she replied with a shrug. "No big deal.."

But Don didn't buy that for a second. He knew her too well to know when she's lying and when she's just being tough. And now, she's being tough.

"Don't lie to me, kiddo.. Was McGarrett?"

Hearing his last name made her shiver lightly, and even though she denied it, Don felt her body reaction and he knew she was lying again.

"I'll give that boy a lesson," he said through his teeth and Kate ended the hug and looked at him.

"No, Don.. It's alright, and it's not like he's done anything.." When he frowned to that comment of hers, she added, "It's complicated," and just like that he knew what she was talking about.

Don rubbed her arm gently, then, without a word, he walked her to where the boats were.

"Take your time, Zona."

With a nod, she climbed inside Don's personal speed boat and, turning the engines on, she took it far from the coast, away from the Arizona Memorial, away from everything. She was in the middle of the ocean and the Mighty Mo was now as big as her hand.

With nothing but water around her, Kate killed the engine of the boat she had just borrowed from Don and sat there. She couldn't get more alone than that.

It was just noon and she had already called it a day. So, now that she wasn't working anymore, Kate gave in to the sadness that was so overwhelming.

She had had one hell of argument with Steve.. And it was killing her. It was suffocating her and she could barely breathe. Only when she felt her dress getting wet that she noticed she was crying.

**xxx**

It was almost 7:00 PM and Steve didn't hear a word from Kate since she left the Five-0 HQ, approximately seven hours ago. She wasn't exactly a missing person, but that was one hell of a long time.

He tried calling her, going to all the places he thought she could be but nothing. He even checked the airport to see if Catherine Taylor had got into a flight to the mainland, but she didn't. Not even Chris knew where she was or where she could be. It was like she had vanished from Planet Earth.

For the zillionth time, Steve tried to call her, but just like the other attempts, the call was never completed. Not even voicemail.

The hypothesis that Kate was willingly avoiding Steve was proved wrong when Danny, Kono and Chin tried to get a hold on her and they all failed. Yes. Even Chin was now part of the effort that Steve had put up to find Kate and they got nothing.

"Hey, Steve.. Kate is tough; she can take care of herself. Don't worry."

Steve knew that; he knew that she was a tough woman, that could take care of herself and handle practically anything - but that doesn't mean he didn't worry.

"Right," said Steve automatically, running his hands through his short hair - a clear sign that he was losing it.

"Calm down, Steve," said Kono, but not even she was sure of her words. "Maybe we should call her brother.. Maybe she talked him and he knows something."

And then, something inside Steve snapped. He should have had thought about him earlier - Rear Admiral Don Reynolds.

Don's words returned to his mind instantly.

_"I know this girl ever since she was born and even after that..."_

And then, it was like he could hear Kate, loud and clear.

_"He's a family friend ... I know him since, well, you heard the man.. always."_

Also, Don called her "Zona" several times - _"That's how my family call me. And the ones that are closer to me"_. That was it. It should be it. Kate went after the Rear Admiral.

"I think I know where she is," muttered Steve before sprinting out of the HQ one more time.

Danny, Kono and Chin just watched that.

"I'm going for a ride," said Danny after Steve vanished. "If you hear from Steve, call me, okay?"

Kono and Chin nodded. Then, the two cousins were the only people standing in the middle of that room.

**xxx**

"I'm gonna ask you one time, and one time only. What did you do, Commander?"

Steve went after Rear Admiral Reynolds and, judging by the tone he was using, he got it right, Kate went there..

"Nothing, Sir. I didn't do nothing."

"Commander, for what I heard, you're a bright man, so I'd suggest you to think better."

It was evident that Don Reynolds wasn't happy, and Steve couldn't blame him. I mean, Danny yelled at him, it was only natural that he was a little upset with Steve, after all, he knew Kate for a very long time.

"Maybe I screwed up," Steve said, and he saw Don's eyes becoming more deep and dark. "But I'm trying to work things out."

The Rear Admiral analyzed Steve's behavior ever since he heard from an Officer that the Five-0 was there looking for him. He scanned him the whole time, and he knew that he wasn't lying.

"That girl is like a daughter to me, McGarrett." For the first time, he didn't use his rank and Steve knew how personal that was. "I care about her so much."

"I care about her too, Sir. That's why I came here. I need to find her."

Their eyes met and, for a moment, and both men held that gaze. A couple of lowered ranked Officers passed by that scene and, even though they had no clue about what was happening, they thought that McGarrett was tougher than people said - or he was just stupid - because he didn't flinch a second, and not many people could hold a gaze like that, especially with the Rear Admiral. It could be taken as an affront. But not this time.

"You just missed her," said Don after a moment. He decided that Steve's intentions were good. "She left ten minutes ago."

Steve cursed in his head. "Do you know where she went to?"

"No idea," said Don poorly. He was regretting not insisting with his questions to Kate. When she returned with his boat, she looked utterly miserable, like she was crying, but she didn't want to talk about that, and he decided to not ask any further.

Steve thanked Don and was about to leave when Don's husky voice stopped him.

"McGarrett. Call me when you find her." Steve nodded. He thought that was it, but then Don added in a serious tone. "I think you're a good man, McGarrett.. But if I hear that you hurt her, I'm gonna hurt you."

Steve knew that was not an empty promise, and he would have shivered if he feared that.

"I won't hurt her, Sir."

"You better not. Now go."

With a small movement of his head, Steve turned his back to Don and ran back to his truck. If he had remembered the Rear Admiral earlier then he would be with Kate already.. But he didn't, and now he was back to square one. He had no idea where she was..

**xxx**

Danny decided that staying at the headquarters wouldn't help them find Kate, and much like Steve, he was starting to get really worried about her. So he took his Camaro and was back to the streets. He had no clue where to look for her but anything was better than sit and wait.

He was driving with no destination at all. He tried to call her again but still no answer.

His phone said it was 7:23 PM and when he looked around, Danny recognized where he was. He was going home.

Danny's first thought was to take the next turn and go somewhere else, but then, he decided not to. Kate went to his house last night.. Maybe she had returned.

He drove into the parking lot and to his garage. Looking around, Danny didn't see Kate anywhere. There was a different car parked near his building, and even though he kept an eye on that, the biggest part of him was trying to find anything that could tell him that Kate was or were there.

If he had looked just a little bit better, he'd have seen the familiar silhouette inside the car. But Danny only checked the vehicle once - it was a dark silver sports car that he didn't recognize the brand. Also, the glasses had this thin dark-ish auto Film, so he didn't see the driver.

Danny walked to his apartment's door, and when he had the key on the lock, he heard the door of that car opening. His detective senses were now alert; with smooth movements, Danny let the key rest on the lock while his hands moved slowly to the gun that was on its holster.

He was about to draw it when he recognized who was there.

"Dan," she whispered and Danny let go of his gun. It was Kate.

"Kate! Thank God!" He pulled her into a tight hug, but then, he let go and pushed her just a little so he could see her face. "What were you thinking? Why did you disappear? Why you didn't answer the phone?"

Danny was holding Kate by her arms and he almost shook her, but didn't when he looked deep in her eyes. She was having a tough day..

"I'm sorry.. I needed some time alone, and my battery died." Kate's voice wasn't much louder than a whisper. "And I suppose I wasn't thinking.."

Danny eased the grip on her arms and opened the door, allowing Kate inside. "C'mon.. Let's get inside.."

She gave him a smile and walked into Danny's apartment. "Thank you," she said walking to his couch. Kate didn't do much that day but she was tired. Emotionally exhausted.

"Are you okay?" asked Danny, but he regretted asking that question - it was evident that she wasn't okay. He tried to think of a better way to ask what he wanted to, but everything sounded so incredibly lame.

"Yeah," Kate said looking at Danny who was sitting on a small coffee table right in front of her. "I'll be fine," she added then.

_I'll be fine_ wasn't exactly a cheerful answer but Danny was a little glad to hear that. Now that she was there, he needed to tell Steve.

"Can I get you anything?" He asked quickly, trying to form a plan in his mind. "Dinner? Alcohol? Anything?"

Kate chuckled on the couch. "I'll pass the alcohol for now and I'm not hungry." She hadn't have lunch nor dinner but food was the last thing she had in mind.

Danny looked at her and couldn't miss that the confident FBI Agent should be resting somewhere deep because she looked fragile.

"But I'd like to take a shower if you don't mind," said Kate after a while.

"Of course I don't mind," said Danny standing up and walking to his bedroom. Kate followed him shortly but stopped by the door as Danny reached for towels and some clean clothes.

"Here," he said walking to the small bathroom. Danny left the towel along with a grey T-Shirt and a pair of shorts on the sink. "Make yourself at home," he said with a smile and Kate smiled back.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough, Dan.."

"Don't worry," Danny replied with a wave of his hand. That was perfect for what he had in mind. While she was in the bathroom, he could call Steve and let him know she was alright. "It's all good.. So, while you take your shower, I'll get dinner, okay?"

"Danny.."

Kate was about to protest when Danny raised a hand making her stop.

"I'm hungry. Starving actually, so I'll do that anyways.."

"Alright, make yourself at home," said Kate with a small smile.

"Great! Chinese?" asked Danny quite happily and Kate nodded. "Cool. I'll be back in a few."

As soon as Danny left his apartment to supposedly get them dinner, he called Steve.

"Hey. I found her. She's in my apartment."

_"Thanks Danny. I'll be there in five minutes."_

.

About four minutes later, Danny saw Steve's blue truck approaching. _That was incredibly fast,_ he thought to himself as he watched his partner jumping out of his truck and walking towards Danny.

"Where is she?" Steve asked urgent.

"Inside," he replied tossing Steve the keys and pointing his apartment with his eyes. Steve was already on his way to the front door when Danny yelled at him. "Hey! Call me when I can come back to my place.."

"Will do," he said with a grin and continued his short run to Danny's apartment. "Thanks, Danno," he said before unlocking the door and walking inside.

**xxx**

With the warm water pouring on her head, Kate lost track of time. She also didn't hear when the front door opened about five minutes after Danny left.

Approximately thirty minutes later, Kate finally left the shower. She was just changing into Danny's clothes when she heard a muffled sound coming from the room.

"Dan?" she called but there was no answer. "Danny?" Kate raised her voice a little bit and still, not a sound.

She cursed quietly as she reached for the SIG-Sauer she was carrying with her since last night under her dress, on a thigh holster.

Kate's hair was still dripping wet when she opened the bathroom door as quietly as possible and walking as stealthy as she could with her gun ready to fire if necessary.

She noticed that the light was on and she wondered what kind of stupid thief let the room as bright as morning. Then, that question was automatically answered when she saw a familiar figure standing in front of the window. He didn't see her because he had his back to where she was. But turned quite fast when he heard her voice.

"Steve?" Grey eyes met blues and Kate felt her heart skipping a beat. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Only after she had already asked that question, Kate noticed how dumb it was. Obviously Danny told him she was there, and she doubted he was buying dinner.

"It's later," said Steve calmly. His eyes fell on the weapon she was still holding, but not pointing at him, but he raised his eyes to meet hers again.

It took her a while to understand what exactly Steve was talking about, but then she remembered she said before leaving his office earlier that day: _"Maybe later"_. Kate remained still where she was standing. "I really don't think it's the be-"

"We'll talk," said Steve taking a couple steps to her direction, and Kate swallowed hard. "Now."

Steve didn't say that in a threatening way. Instead, he was as soft and as calm as he could be, and Kate noticed it. She wasn't sure what to expect. She didn't want to argue with him again, and she sure didn't want to blow everything up. But she was curious. And it was mainly her curiosity that boosted her response.

"Okay, fine. What do you want to talk about?"

Steve took another step forward and Kate felt the urge to take a step back, but she held her position bravely.

"You went for dinner with Cahill last night," said Steve. It wasn't a question.

"That's what you want to talk?" said Kate very defensively. "My dinner plans?"

"Why you didn't tell me?"

"Why should I?"

Now it was Kate's turn to take a step forward. They were still about seven steps apart but the instinct of making the distance bigger vanished from Kate's mind.

"Well, maybe because he's part of our investigation," replied Steve. He had no idea how that was a bad move..

"Woah! What did you just say? _Part of the investigation?_ Steven, he's helping us!"

"Today! Yesterday I had no clue who he was, Catherine!"

Their voices were rising constantly, but they weren't yelling at each other. Not yet.

Steve rubbed his face and, with one hand on his waist, he turned away from Kate for a second. That was not how he had it planned.

"Look.. It doesn't matter anymore, okay. All I'm saying is that you should have mentioned it."

"What for, Steve? Huh? Why suddenly what I do with my damn life is so important to you?" Kate's face was a blank, like a plain white board with nothing that Steve could read on it.

"Because I care about your safety! Why is it so hard for you to understand?" Steve's voice went a little louder and now he was about four steps away from her.

"My safety? Steve, I respect your team philosophy and I'm working hard to adjust my behavior appropriately. But I. Wasn't. **Working**!"

"Kate-" Steve was a little shocked with Kate's explosive reaction. She was practically yelling at him.

"No! You're questioning me about things I do outside work and that's way out of line! Would you like if I did the same and started prying into your business? Like- like what _you_ did last night? What were_ your_ dinner plans?"

"STOP!" Steve didn't mean to yell, but he did. It was the only way that would make her listen to him. Then, closing the space between them in a second, Steve stood right in front of her, his eyes focused on Kate's as he waited for her to calm down at leas a little. He could see her chest breathing heavily under Danny's shirt. "Please. Stop."

After a minute or so, seeing that she was calm again, Steve brought himself to speak again, and this time, his voice was back to his kind tone.

"If it's gonna make things better, then let's talk about what I did last night."

"What?" Kate just couldn't believe what he was seeing. What the hell was that all about? And why would she want to talk about Steve's dinner? She couldn't even remember that and not feel sick. "No! I don't wanna talk about that! Why would I want to talk about that? It's none of my business."

She was just turning her back to Steve who was so dangerously close to her and she could feel his breathing and his scent was intoxicating her air.

"I say we need to talk about it," Steve said holding her hand and not letting Kate go any further.

That was it. Kate had reached her limit and she just couldn't handle it anymore.

"Well,** I** say, if you want to talk about it, then go talk to the Catherine you were with last night!" Kate managed to release her wrist from Steve's grip, but he didn't offer any resistance. "I'm pretty sure the talk will be way more pleasant."

Kate didn't really mean to say it out loud or in such harsh way, but it was more than she could take. She also knew she was throwing all her frustrations on the wrong person, but she just couldn't deal with Steve yet. She thought she could, that she would be able to put up a wall and let all those feelings locked, but, for some reason, it was impossible this time. She couldn't shut Steve out. Kate wished she didn't need to try..

An unpleasant smile fell upon them as Kate turned her back to Steve. He didn't say anything after her outburst and she couldn't tell if his silence was good or bad.

She felt like there was a hand, squeezing, twisting and slashing her inside. She was hurting. Saying the words hurt. Steve's silence hurt. Her pride was hurt for letting the jealousy speak louder. Kate felt like what just happened between her and Steve, it hurt more than any physical injury she ever had. Not even being shot was that painful. And she was so focused on that obliterator sensation that she barely made sense out of Steve's words. And then he said it again.

"Cath's gone," Steve said as calm as it was possible.

Kate froze. Her heart stopped beating, her brain went numb and she stopped existing for a while. What was Steve saying? Gone? What's that supposed to mean, gone?

"I broke up with her last night," he said when Kate didn't do anything.

Then, in a matter of seconds, her heart was pounding, her brain was working so damn fast that she couldn't follow. So many questions popped in her head, but only one came out of her mouth when she turned to look at him.

"Why?" she asked; her voice was so neutral that she barely recognized it. He was standing in the exact same place. Their personal space was being respected and, suddenly, Kate felt like that was an insult. Her eyes locked on his and she waited.

"Is that question really necessary?" said Steve holding her gaze.

Kate knew the answer. She knew why he did that. It was the same reason why he told her, the one and only reason that would explain why was there. And just like that, all that hurt and all that sadness, all the pain in her chest were gone.

Whispering an inaudible 'no' that Steve only knew that she said because he read her lips. Then, everything happened incredibly fast, in a matter of seconds. She closed the space between them and pulled him closer. Kate could feel his heart beating furiously against her chest; Steve could touch her soft skin with his fingertips. She ran her fingers through his short dark hair while he placed his hands on her hips. Finally their lips met.

.

The softness of Kate's lips upon Steve's lips was overwhelming and it took his breath away. His hands went from Kate's hips to the small of her back and he held her for dear life as he parted his lips so he could slid his tongue against Kate's.

Kate threw her arms around Steve's neck and locked them there, keeping her steady and as close as they could get; she didn't want to let go of that man ever again. She matched his movements in no time as their tongues moved in perfect synchrony, like a slow dance that they both knew the choreography by heart.

Steve had never touched any inch of Kate before, but it was like he knew her since always. She looked perfect in his arms, her lips were the sweetest he had ever tasted and her kisses just made him forget about every other woman in his life.

The slow dance of their tongues suddenly gave place to a much deeper, avid, desperate, passionate kiss. Breathing was an overrated need. They didn't need air; at that very moment, they just needed each other.

Having Kate in his arms as she ran her finger through his hair and the other hand went slowly down her back was an amazing _sensation, powerful enough to get him numb and __send him_ over the _edge__._ The best thing that Steve had ever experienced. Never in his life he felt like that before, it was like every cell of his body responded to the minimal contact with Kate's body. And when she brushed her fingertips right on that piece of skin of his neck that wasn't covered by his black V-necked T-Shirt, Steve felt like he was on fire.

They had lost track of time the moment their lips met, but it should have been a while ago because Kate's lungs were already burning, desperately craving for air but everything else in her body didn't want to let go of Steve. And apparently, neither did he because he was holding her so tightly, keeping her body pressed very close to his chest, not allowing her to make a move. But eventually, he made a small movement with his hips and the badge that he carried on his right side brushed against her wounded left abdomen, Kate flinched and broke the kiss.

. . .

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><p><em><strong>AN:** In my opinion, I think this was a long chapter and, much like what happened a few chapters ago, I could have made two instead of one because a lot happened, but I decided not to for two reasons. One: I promised a friend that things would happen and I wanted to keep my promise. Two: Even though I'm having major doubts about this story, I had a very great time writing it. So, I decided to keep it like I wrote it!  
><em>

_To everyone who's reading "Aloha!", **mahalo nui loa**! There's a review button somewhere below these lines and, if you feel like helping me, tell me what you think about this story! I'm always happy to hear what you think about it! Again, MAHALO!_


	22. Chapter 22

**Aloha everyone!**

**Hawaii Five-0 returns today! And, even though I probably won't be watching it, I decided to share my excitement with you all and post a new chapter to this fic! ****Like most of my chapters, I didn't do much edit on this one.. It might not be too much but I sure hope you all enjoy it! ****  
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**Like always, thank you everyone who's still with me, everyone who has reviewed, favorited and alerted this story so far! You guys are super duper über awesome! And huge thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! Thank you so very much!  
><strong>

****I encourage you all to tell me what you think of it because it helps me a lot, especialy when I'm very uncertain of it.. So, if you feel like helping me (which I would appreaciete greatly), leave a comment!**  
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**Disclaimer: **_Still **do not** own H50. Yeah, very sad.. _**  
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* * *

><p><em>Kate's lungs were already burning, desperately craving for air but her body didn't want to let go of Steve. And apparently, neither did he because he was holding her so tightly, pressed against his chest, not allowing her to make a move. But when he made a small movement of his hips and the badge that he carried on his right side brushed against her wounded abdomen, Kate flinched and broke the kiss.<em>

.

None of them moved an inch, they just stood there, with their foreheads pressed together, their bodies still tangled, breathless and panting. Both, Kate and Steve were struggling to breathe. Every breath of fresh air went burning down their chests and lungs that were getting used to the lack of oxygen; the cold air getting into their hot bodies was a little painful but they didn't mind. It was the kind of pain that they could live with.

It took them a while, but eventually, they were breathing normally again. Actually, as normal as it could get, because Kate couldn't keep her breath steady, nor Steve.

But, even though their breathing pattern was still a little erratic, Steve noticed something different on Kate. After breaking the kiss, she took a small step back, creating a space between them and now, looking at her, he noticed she was a little curled up over her left side.

"Are you alright?" asked Steve a bit concerned. "Kate?"

Doing her best to not whine, Kate brought her eyes up. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Steve heard her words, but didn't believe it not even for a micro second. "What's wrong?" he asked, and then he looked at her body again. Her left hand was still touching her abdomen, like she was protecting it. Then he looked at his badge and remembered the low whimper she let out when he moved his hip and it brushed her body, most definitely that exact same spot. "Kate.."

"Nothing's wrong," insisted Kate, but it only worked to make Steve frown at her.

"Woman, you need to trust me a little bit better than that," said Steve as he reached for her left hand that was right above her left side. He held her hand gently, their fingers now entwined. "I'm gonna ask just one more time, what happened?" asked Steve pointing her abdomen with his eyes.

Kate looked deep in Steve's eyes and saw genuine concern. She really didn't want to talk about that mainly because she felt it would hurt her pride, but she also wondered for how long she would be able to keep that from him. He'd find out sooner or later..

As she took a deep breath, her eyes fell on their linked fingers and she felt a knot in her throat - that was so not like her. They weren't supposed to do that! It was one of her unannounced rules: personal and professional should never mix. Her 'never' had just went downhill..

He squeezed her hand gently when she didn't say anything, and she almost hated him for doing that. Almost. Instead, she sighed heavily.

"I.. Uh- It's just a scratch," Kate blurted and tried to take a step back, to get away from the awkward situation that was about to strike.

Her attempt failed epic proportions when Steve didn't leg to of her left hand, instead, he tightened his grip while his other hand flew for her waist, not allowing her to escape.

"Wait,_ 'just a scratch'_ from what?" Steve's eyes widened when he heard that. "You got hurt on the shooting?"

There it was. Everything that she had been avoiding. "It was nothing. Seriously."

"Let me see it."

"Forget it, Steve. It happens, alright. It's sort of in the job description.." Kate's eyes finally met Steve's and she noticed they were so incredibly deep and blue. So beautiful, yet so fierce. "Don't look at me like that," she said annoyed. "I'm okay. Nothing happened. It's all good. Let's just move on.."

But Steve didn't fell for that. "Let me see it," he said again and it sounded more like an order rather than a request.

Kate locked her gaze on Steve, but the man was too determined that she couldn't see a way out of that.

"Alright," she said rolling her eyes. "Whatever.. But, just for the record, this is very unnecessary."

"Let me decide if it's unnecessary or not," replied Steve still waiting.

She disentangled her fingers from Steve and lifted Danny's T-Shirt so Steve could see her injury.

"You call this 'just a scratch?" Steve shouted as he leaned down to have a closer look. She got hit near her hip, but on the front, it was almost as big as his palm and, even though it wasn't deep, it looked pretty nasty. He could see her raw flesh and it was slightly bleeding, thanks to his badge. "How did you get this? I gave you a Kevlar vest!"

"Well, I wasn't wearing it.." Kate strategically looked away, avoiding his eyes and even doing so, she could feel their gaze, it was like he was looking into her soul or something.

"You wasn't wearing it!" Steve's voice raised just a little as he straightened up. "What were you thinking?"

"Well, I was thinking I needed to see what was in that deposit, but it was locked." Kate managed to keep her voice calm, because she really didn't want to get into another argument with Steve. Not again. "And the padlock was close to the ground, so if I wanted to have a look inside, I'd have to get rid of that thing and the vest wouldn't let me work.."

"And you didn't consider requesting backup? _**Calling me**_?"

"I was with Chin. Backup was on its way but I just couldn't wait," admitted Kate simply. "Look, I wouldn't have taken it off if I knew that a crazy weirdo would show up with a goddamned Remington 1100 and fire against us!"

"Woah.. _Remington 1100__?_" Steve's eyes widened and, even though she tried, Kate couldn't avoid his intense gaze. "This is a shotgun! What the hell happened there? How could you-"

"Be so reckless? I know.. It wasn't wise and it was stupid. But can you please relax? I'm fine. Except for, well, this," Kate looked down to her abdomen. "But other than that I'm great."

"You could have been killed." Steve wasn't the least bit content with that.

"But I wasn't," said Kate softly, but Steve just stared at her; his expression didn't ease not even for a second. "I wasn't! See? Past tense. It's all gone now."

"It's gone but it doesn't mean it didn't happen!"

For a moment, Kate didn't respond to that. Why he was so focused on something that already happened? "Okay. Alright.. Now that you know it, how does it make you feel? Better?"

Steve took a couple of deep breaths before say anything. He looked at her in complete disbelief. "Of course I'm not feeling better! You got yourself into an unnecessary dangerous situation."

"And now you're getting us both into an unnecessary conversation! It won't change what happened. I know I was wrong, I'm aware of what could have happened.. but it didn't. So why can't you just forget it?"

"Because you almost got yourself killed! And I don't accept it. I will never accept it."

"Well.. when you put things like that.. But I'll try my best to avoid situations like that again, does that makes you happier?"

Steve couldn't help but chuckle; of course that made him happy but it didn't make him forget the fact that she risked her life and didn't say a word about it. "Alright.. but, honestly Kate, you can't do that again. And most important, you can't hide information like that from me."

"Steve.." Kate wanted to protest but he raised his hand and placed a finger on her lips, not allowing her to say another word. "I know you think it's unnecessary, and it's gone, but you cannot keep that from me."

"You like to suffer, don't you" said Kate as she took a step back, freeing her lips from his finger.

"I'd suffer more if I didn't know it."

Kate bit her lower lip. Those words shouldn't affect her that much – but it did. She went speechless for a while. "Are you always that protective towards your co-workers, Commander?" Kate's tone was quite playfully when she finally composed herself and was able to speak again. Because, even though they had kissed, she wasn't sure she was ready to what was next.

"I look after my co-workers," said Steve seriously, then, he added rather amused: "But especially if they have a close friend who happens to be a NAVY Rear Admiral who can be very persuasive."

Kate's jaw dropped half open when she heard that. "Oh God.. what did Don say?"

"Well, he made himself very clear if you were hurt, then I'd get hurt to so.." Steve didn't mention that the content of their talk wasn't exactly about Kate getting _physicall__y_ hurt, even though he was pretty sure Don wouldn't be happy at all if he found out that she got hurt during a shooting. "And that reminds me, you owe the man a phone call.."

"Me? Why?"

"Well, actually, he said I should call him after I find you.. but since you're the reason I had to go to him in the first place and I don't have his number-"

"Are you afraid of Don, Steven?" Kate interrupted Steve's little speech and raised an eyebrow. That tiny little act made Steve just want to pull her close and taste her sweetness one more time.

"No, I'm not afraid of Don," he replied simply. "But he was as concerned as I was, if not more, when I asked about you.."

Kate let her head fall a little. She had been acting like a child since yesterday.

"Alright, I'll call him.. But I need my charger," she said as she turned to walk back to Danny's small bathroom. "My phone died."

"Okay. Let's go back to my place and you can have you charger... Along with all of your clothes," Steve said while calling his partner.

"Can't go now!" Kate said loudly from the bathroom. "Gotta wait for Danny.. And what's that last comment supposed to mean?"

She was back to the room with all her belongings and found Steve just hanging his phone and unlocking the door. About five seconds later, the blonde figure of Danny walked through it.

"Oh look, everything is still alright in here," said Danny the moment he put his feet inside his apartment. "I thought I'd go back and everything would be upside down.."

"It already is, Danno," Steve replied playfully. "And it's not our fault."

"Hey!" protested Danny. "Careful with your words, you neat freak.. It's my house you're talking about."

"I can see it's yours," said Steve with a half smile on his face.

Danny opened his mouth to give him a witty answer but he stopped. Steve was back to his normal and, apparently, so was Kate. Danny's eyes found hers and he was incredibly glad when he saw a smile playing with her lips. "You know what, I'm not gonna register what you just said," Danny turned to look at his partner and they shared a smile. It was all good now, and that was great news.

"So," Steve said after a brief moment of silence. "Are you coming?"

"I.. Uh," Kate looked at Danny and he gave her a short nod. "I'll be right out," she said looking back at Steve, and he understood that as a sign that she wanted to have a word with Danny.

"Alright," he said and walked out of the bright room and into the dark night.

.

"Look, I know you must have been pretty mad at me, but I had to do it," said Danny, defending himself from something that hadn't even come yet. "You know it, right?"

Kate watched him without saying a word, and even when he wasn't saying anything else, she held that silence. And it freaked the holy hell out of Danny.

"For God's sake, say something!" pleaded Danny. He hated it when people just looked at him without saying anything.

"Thank you," said Kate finally. "I mean, at first I wanted to kick the crap out of you.. But I think I owe you a thanks."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, if it wasn't for that, we'd have an awkward day ay the office tomorrow.."

Danny squinted. His spidey senses were tingling. "Is that so? Huh.. For a moment I thought it was because of something else," he said and a grin appeared on his face.

Kate noticed that and felt her cheeks getting warm.

"Good night, Danno," she said giving the detective and friend a hug. "I'll return the clothes soon."

"Nah.. Don't worry about it," Danny replied smiling, walking with Kate to the door.

"Thanks again, Danny. For everything."

Danny knew that she wasn't talking about him calling Steve anymore. She talking about the other night when he gently opened the door for her, allowed her so stay and respected her much needed privacy.

"Anytime," he replied sincerely.

Kate placed a kiss on his cheek and squeezed his upper arm gently before turning her back to him and towards Steve, who was waiting by his truck. Danny thought that maybe, just maybe, he had a small part on the miracle that was seeing Kate and Steve putting aside all that crap and just hanging out peacefully, or whatever that was happening between those two.

With a smile on his face that showed his content with what he had seen in those last ten minutes or so after he got Steve's call, Danny stepped inside and closed the door. Maybe they didn't catch the bad guy today, or made any arrests, nor got a little closer to the Australians, but something else happened, and it was worth an inner celebration.

.

Steve was waiting for Kate leaned on his truck that was parked it next to the sidewalk, in front of a fancy car. He hadn't paid much attention to that but now that he had some time - and his mind wasn't clouded - he could see it didn't quite fit the neighborhood.

He was thinking about that right before Kate join him.

"There you are," Steve said as a smile came to his face and could be seen in his eyes and even in his words. Kate noticed that too and, without noticing, she was smiling back at him.

"I just needed to thank Danny. I mean, I didn't bring much peace to his life during the last twenty four hours, maybe more, so.."

Steve didn't know what to do for a moment. His eyes fell on the blue dress that she was holding - that same dress that caused him to wonder so many things since last night.. Then, his attention went back to Kate when she spoke again.

"We should go.. I mean, you go ahead and I'll meet you at your place.."

Kate was already walking away from him but he reached out and stopped her, holding her by her waist.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Uh- Your house? I'm not sure the address.." Kate fought so hard to keep her voice and her body steady; with his proximity and his hand on her waist, she thought her knees would turn into jelly any time.

"Then why are you going that way?" he asked a bit confused. "Come on, I'll drive you."

"Actually," she took the keys from her clutch bag and pressed a button that made the lights of the car behind Steve's truck flicker. "I think it'll be better if I follow you."

Steve raised an eyebrow while looking from Kate then to the car and then back to Kate. "Okay, where did you get this?"

"From the dealership," she said calmly. "Now, shall we?"

With one last glance to that car and to Kate, Steve nodded and, very against his own will, he let go of her waist and saw her walking away once again. It didn't cheer him to see it happening again, but he focused on the part where she was alright. And on the kiss. That wasn't just a kiss; to Steve, it was the confirmation that he wasn't alone in that, he knew right there that Kate had feelings for him as well, and with that in mind, he stepped into his truck and drove back to his home. His eyes always fixed on the rearview mirror to see if she was following, and she was. Every time he looked back, he could see her car, and he could see Kate, and he would smile to himself all the way.

**xxx**

"Where is Mary?" Kate asked curiously as she went upstairs to get the charger from her bag that was along with her belongings - on Steve's room.

When they got to Steve's house, the place was immersed in darkness; there was no lights on and no one around. But as he checked the place, Steve found a note written by Mary by the phone.

_"Thanks for letting me use the guest room; I'm now going to my place. xoxo, Mary."_

"She's fine," Steve replied, loud enough so she could hear him from upstairs. "She's at her house.."

"Mary went back to LA?" asked Kate intrigued.

"I doubt it," said Steve as he went upstairs. "It's more likely that she's at her house here in Oahu."

"Oh.."

That was pretty much the only thing that Kate could say. She was expecting to have Mary there to avoid any possible alone time with Steve, but now that such possibility was no longer available, she was starting to get pretty anxious. And Steve noticed it as soon he stood by the door.

"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure she'll join you for breakfast if you invite her," he said with a half smile and Kate chuckled nervously.

"Right," she replied and brushed a strand of hair from her face. Then she looked at Steve who had his arms crossed in front of his broad chest and was still leaning on the door stand. "Well, if you excuse me, I need to.." she showed him the charger and the phone; as she approached the door, he took a step back and allowed her to walk out of his room.

Whispering a_ 'thank you'_, she just walked back downstairs, away from Steve who was standing there, not moving a muscle.

.

Kate let her body fall on his couch; she had put her phone to charge and was waiting just a while so she could call Don. But she had so many things in her mind that when she picked her BlackBerry, she called someone else instead.

_"Hello, stranger."_

Hearing that familiar voice cheered her up immediately.

"Hey Jake.. How are you doing?"

_"I'm great, thanks for asking. How about you?"_

"Well, I'm good.. Thanks."

She knew it was quite pointless giving Jacob her standard answer, but she did it anyways.

_"C'mon.. Spit it out. What's bothering you, Kate?"_ When Kate sighed rather loudly, her brother insisted. _"Kate."_

"I'm.. Uh- I'm having a bit of a tough time with work here.."

_"What's wrong? You know you can talk to me."_

"It's just.. I'm having to deal with something from the past.."

_"Oh.."_ Out of all people in the world, Jacob knew how Kate could strongly dislike digging on the past. And, judging by the tone she was using, it was not a good thing. And maybe - just maybe - it wasn't just about work.

"Yeah.."

_"Wanna talk?"_

"No.. Not really.. I just wanted to hear from you," she replied calmly. She was now lying on the couch and she was starting to feel incredibly bad for the hours she spend on that boat combined with the lack of food on her stomach.

_"It's all good here, but.. with all possible respect, you sound awful, Kate."_

"Do I?" she asked and, surprisingly enough, she chuckled. "Great.. Cause I feel kinda awful now.. My head is pounding and I think I'm starting to digest my stomach."

Kate didn't even get closer to her abdomen because, thanks to Steve's badge, it was now hurting.

Then, she heard a low beep on the other side and she knew what was it.

_"I'm terribly sorry, Kate, but I got paged and I really need to get this."_ Jake sounded urgent and Kate knew he'd be gone any second now.

"Okay," she said simply, but hiding the sad feeling that was starting to take over her. She wanted to talk more to her brother, but he was a surgeon and she knew he was a busy person. "We'll talk soon."

_"Just one last thing,"_ Jake said in a hurry. _"Mom and dad's anniversary is getting close.. You think you'll make it?"_

Holy crap, their parent's anniversary. Ever since their parents died, Kate and Jacob always find a way to be together on the day of their Anniversary. It was their way to let their parents know that they would always remember them, and at the same time, they'd stick together as a family, like they always tried to be. But Kate had so many things in mind that she almost forgot that.

"Goddamn.. I- uh.. I'll do my best to be there.."

That's all she could promise him. She'd do her best, but she had two investigations on course: one was the Australians, and the other was Pat Jameson's murder, which, basically was why she was there, but then, things got in the way and it was postponed for a while.

_"Oh.. That complicated?"_

"More than you can imagine," she replied weakly.

_"Okay.. Uh, if you don't make it, then I suppose we can do something when you return."_

"Yeah," she said swallowing hard. "Maybe.." She didn't like missing that date, but right now, she couldn't consider the possibility of leaving Hawaii with the Australians planning something, and when the task force building is a potential target. "But go, we'll talk soon, okay?"

_"Okay.. Call me if you need anything, alright?"_

"Sure thing.. Love you, Jake," she said, a hint of pain was built in her words.

_"Love you too. Take care."_

"Will do."

_"Bye."_

Before she could say _'goodbye'_ back, he was already gone, and Kate was lying on the couch, feeling a little defeated. There were so many things happening in her life and not all of them were exactly good.. But she'd do like she did her entire life - one thing at a time. And for now, what she could do was to get her butt out of that couch and get something to eat or she'd die before she could handle everything else - and that was not part of the plan.

**xxx**

Steve watched as Kate walked downstairs. He was so immensely happy that she was there and for everything else, but he also noticed something that he wasn't sure he liked.. He noticed that, even though she was the one to make the first move, after the kiss, she became a little distant. Like when he stopped by the door, it was like Kate was struggling to find a way to get the hell out of that room.. And Steve didn't know how to react to that. What was he supposed to do?

Wondering how on Earth he got into such complicated situation, he took a T-Shirt, pajama's pants, a boxer and walked into his bathroom.

The answer to that question came the second he glanced to the small bottle of perfume that was on his sink. He got into that because of Kate. She wasn't any other woman. She was different. And she was worth all the struggle, the hurt and the trouble.

Less than ten minutes later he walked out of the bathroom fully dressed and his hair still a little wet.

He was on his way down when he stopped on his tracks in the middle of the stair. He heard Kate's voice and he could only imagine she was on the phone. Steve was about to go back upstairs and let her talk to whoever she was talking to when something made him change his plans.

Steve heard Kate's perfectly and what she said made him wonder. _"I'll do my best to be there.." _

_She'd do her best to be there? __**Where? **_He didn't intend to overhear the conversation but that's exactly what he did. At first, he thought she'd be talking to Don, but now he had his very strong doubts. Then he heard her saying "Jake", and he knew she was talking to her brother.

Steve had walked back upstairs and only after Kate hang up, he went back downstairs.

The room was empty; he could still see Kate's phone on the couch, where she had left it while it was still charging, but Kate wasn't there anymore.. Then a sound coming from his kitchen announced where she was, and that's where he went to.

Kate had a glass of milk in her hands and she acknowledged his presence in the place fairly quickly.

"Hey, I hope you don't mind but I'm totally assaulting your fridge," she said when Steve walked towards her.

"Not at all," Steve replied as he poured himself a glass of milk, just like her. "Feel free to assault my fridge anytime."

"Oh, you really shouldn't have said that," Kate said playfully and flashed him a smile.

"Should I take that back?" asked him amused.

"Probably," said Kate as she emptied her glass and placed it on the sink. "But it wouldn't work now that you already said it, so.."

With a small smile, she turned her back and walked back to the room, but now with Steve right behind her. Kate occupied one end of the couch and was already dialing Don's number when Steve caught her with her guard down.

"Lay down," he said calmly. Kate's finger didn't find strength enough to press the green button and she just looked at him blankly. "Head over there, legs over here."

She didn't even blink._ What the hell was he talking about?_

"Excuse me?" she asked when she finally found her voice again.

"Lay down. Head goes there," he pointed to one end of the couch, "legs here. Quite simple. C'mon."

"I'm sorry, I don't.. think I'm following.. Why should I do this, once again?" Don was now the last thing in Kate's mind as she stared at Steve who was standing in front of her with that bossy attitude that normally she would hate, but now was just turning her on..

"I just wanna have a better look on your wound," he explained like it was the most ordinary thing in the world. _Lie down, pull your shirt up. I wanna check that nasty thing that's on your abdomen.._

Steve wasn't even a doctor. What he could possibly do? Kate didn't think he could do much..

"What for?"

"I just wanna check if I need to run with you to the hospital because of a possible infection," Steve said not so calmly, and Kate gave in. She had already told him that she was treated, it was fine, but he seemed like a dog that wouldn't let go of a piece of meat, so she just decided to do what he was saying.

"Alright.. Whatever.. But just for your information," she said propping her body on her elbows and looking up at him. "This is completely unnecessary."

"Well, like I said before, I'll decide if it's necessary or not," Steve said a little amused. "Now if you please.."

Rolling her eyes, Kate was now lying on the couch, _'head there, legs here'_, but when she felt Steve's hands on pulling up the shirt she was wearing, her body tensed and she stiffened.

Then, to clear her mind, she grabbed her phone that was lying somewhere near her head and did the one thing she was supposed to do once she got back to Steve's place: call Don.

.

Kate's reaction didn't go unnoticed to Steve. He felt Kate holding her breath when he made a move to pull Danny's T-Shirt just enough so he could take a look at her abdomen. And when he looked at her with the corner of his eyes and found her fumbling with her phone, he grinned inwardly.

.

Kate shut her eyes closed as she dialed Don and waited not so patiently that he would answer his phone. She didn't want to give her mind more to think about, especially when it was about Steve - her head was still holding onto the kiss memory.

_"Kate?"_

"Don! Hi.. Hey.." The feeling of satisfaction that took over her body when she heard Don's voice was more than she could explain. Or maybe it was because she could feel a cool breeze touching her warm skin, but she chose to believe it was the first option.

_"Dear Lord, thank Heavens you called! I was starting to get worried about you.. How are you?"_

"Oh, no worries.. I'm fine.. I'm-" her voice broke and her mind went numb when she felt Steve's fingers on her skin. Kate kept her eyes firmly closed and didn't see the huge smile on Steve's face. "I'm fine."

_"Are you sure? You don't sound exactly fine to me.."_

"Naah.. I'm just a little tired, that's all." Kate knew she didn't fool Don with that, and she was almost relieved when she felt Steve standing up by her side. Cracking her eyes open just a little, she noticed he was going upstairs and that sudden relief was instantly replaced with frustration and she sanked on the couch. "So, uh.. I believe I caused you a little concern this evening.."

_"I think I'm correct assuming that Steve told you that, right?"_

"Yeah.. He also said I should call you and I don't think he's all wrong.. I'm so sorry, Don. I really didn't mean to- WOAH!" Kate was so immersed on her talk with Don that she barely noticed when Steve returned, with some medical supplies. When he kneeled by her side and his finger ran through her still visible abdomen, she couldn't not keep her voice low.

"Relax.. I'll just clean it up and put some bandages on it," said Steve clearly amused with her reaction. Kate gave him a deadly look and returned her attention to the phone, and Don was going nuts.

_"Kate? What happened? Kate!"_

"Oh hey.. Uh- it's nothing.. I though I- saw something.." She knew that her shaky voice wasn't adding any credibility to what she was saying so, she took a deep breath. "It was nothing, so never mind.. Anyways, where was I? Oh, right.. I'm really sorry, Don."

She experienced a brief moment of quietness when Don seemed to be studying her words carefully.

_"What happened, Kate? What are you not telling me?"_

"Don, I'm n- OH MY GOD!"

This time Kate couldn't avoid a deep cry when Steve sprayed something cold and it made her injured skin burn.

"It's just antiseptic," Steve replied showing her the flask of whatever the hell he had used on her. Kate barely paid attention to that; her mind was working around the simple fact that Steve seemed to be enjoying that so damn much.

"Just finish it already," she hissed at him, but if she was trying to sound firm, such thing never happened. Then, once again, she turned her attention to Don, who was dead silent on the other side.

"Don.."

_"Catherine Arizona Taylor. You better explain what's going on before I get someone to work on tracking your phone.."_

"No! Don, no.. It's really unnecessary," she said and glared at Steve. "It's just.. Oh what the hell. Steve's playing the doctor and he's abusing my very small patience."

There was a moment of silence again that seemed to be longer than it actually was, until Don spoke again. _"Wait.. Come again? Steve is doing what? What exactly do you mean by 'playing the doctor'?"_

Then Kate noticed she choose the words very badly.

"Oh God.."

_"Zona, I think this is not the best time for a phone ca-"_

"Oh, for God's sake no! I assure you, this is not what you think it is," said Kate pinching the bridge of her nose and making Steve chuckle - it was quite obvious he knew what was going on with that phone call even without being a part of it. That made she grab a cushion she was using as a pillow and hit Steve's head.

"I didn't want to say it because it would just result in so much drama.. But I'm picking the drama over, well.. This." Truth was, Kate would prefer getting shot at than to hear that she was having sex when she clearly wasn't. "Anyhow, yesterday, while I was working, something happened and I ended up with a small injury caused by a bullet."

_"You were shot?"_

"See.. That's exactly the kind of reaction I was trying to avoid," said Kate calmly as she shifted on the couch. Steve was already putting the bandages on and she was trying to shut her mind to that. "I wasn't exactly shot at, but something hit me, nothing serious, though, so calm down alright. I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine."

_"Put Steve on the phone."_

"What?" Kate propped herself up in no time, not caring about Steve's protests that he wasn't done yet.

_"I'd like to speak with Steve McGarrett. Put him on the phone, please."_

Kate's jaw dropped open and after a moment when she couldn't show any reactions, she handed Steve the phone.

"Here. Don wants to speak with you."

Steve stared at her and the BlackBerry she was handing him. He had already finished putting clean bandages on her so he picked the phone.

"Steve," he said sounding so serious and that caused Kate to smile a little. His voice was so deep and low that she could feel it crawling under her skin, setting her body on fire.

Shaking her head, Kate stood up and went to the kitchen. She needed water desperately after all that she went through.

.

Now that she was far from Steve and Don, her mind drifted back to Jake and to her parents, and suddenly, she felt like she couldn't even have a glass of water.

Kate was so caught up with her thoughts and she didn't notice when Steve walked into the kitchen.

"Why is this water so interesting?" he asked and she raised her head quickly to meet his eyes on her.

"What?"

Steve made a small move with his head, showing the glass of water she was holding with so strength and had her eyes fixed on it.

"Oh, yeah.. I was just.. thinking," Kate replied and place the glass still full on the sink.

Steve noticed something was bothering her deeply. "Is it about your brother?"

Kate had both her hands on the sink, like she was seeking for some support when she turned to look at Steve one more time, who was standing by her left side with a serious look in his eyes.

"You heard," she whispered.

"I didn't mean to.. I'm sorry."

"No," she said waving that off. "It's okay. I mean.. It's not like it's a secret or something.."

"You want to go back," said Steve simply. He did well in hiding his emotions, but he couldn't avoid the pain in his chest.

"I won't lie," she replied after a few seconds. "Part of me wants to go back.. But that's not the biggest part, so.."

Kate suddenly became so incredibly quiet and Steve could see her inner turmoil. He was debating whether he should ask her what was happening or not since it was about her brother and probably it was very personal but she made the first move and took a step towards the door and stopped when she reached it. "So? Are you coming or what?"

Not waiting for another word, Steve followed her back to the room and upstairs.

.

Kate stood by the door of Steve's room and he noticed that hesitation. All her belongings were there, but it was still Steve's bedroom. And she could feel his presence right behind her.

"I'll just get some clothes," she said kneeling by her luggage and fishing for some clothes. She wasn't paying any attention to her hands or the content of the bag, but she froze when she felt his hands on her shoulders.

"Kate, come here.."

Steve's voice was low and quite soft and it caught her with her guard totally down – or maybe she didn't even raise it. In any case, she allowed his hands to help her stand and she followed him to the edge of his bed.

"It's pretty clear that talking to your brother affected you.. You can go if you want to."

"I'm not gonna walk away on this investigation," Kate said determined. She thought she owed Steve an explanation for that very bright answer she gave him. "Look, relax alright. I said I wanted to go back, but I won't. I won't do it.." She took a deep breath and turned to look in his eyes – something that she was avoiding until now. "It's just that my brother reminded me of something and, for a moment, I wished I could go back," she said turning to look at the man who was standing right in front of her.

"Well, like I said, you can," Steve replied. There was something else in her eyes – something like pain, but a lot more intense.

"No, I can't," Kate said firmly. It was more like she was telling herself she couldn't rather than a response to Steve's words. "I won't," she said firmly.

Steve didn't say a word, he just held her glance quietly, and to Kate, that was even worse.

"Stop doing it," she told him, shifting her eyes to somewhere else, somewhere far from those inviting deep blue eyes. "I don't want to get into any other arguments with you again.. I don't want to fight over anything else, with anyone else. Not today. I don't think I can handle it." The way those last words came out, it surprised her. She was totally showing him that side of her that she'd been trying to hide, the side of her that was tired of the fight she was constantly engaged into. She just needed a break to rest and get ready for tomorrow; because she was sure it would be another hard day at the office.

"Alright," Steve said giving her hand a squeeze. He got the message and he wouldn't be the one to push her further towards the edge. "I'll be at the guest room if you need anything, okay?"

Kate didn't say anything; she just stood there like a statuesque and Steve felt that, even thought he didn't liked it, he should just leave her alone for a while. But it surprised him when she didn't let go of his hand when he stood up.

"Please, stay? At least until I fall asleep?"

Kate didn't want to let him go, and as much as her pride was hurting because she actually asked that, she didn't regret it. Her voice was so filled with all sorts of emotions and her eyes were so smooth that he found himself letting go of her hand just to shut the door closed.

"No problem," he said as he returned to his bed, lying down by her side and placing a kiss on her forehead.

Even though there were so many things they both needed to talk about, no one said a word. They could talk some other time, but, for now, Steve and Kate just stood there, in the dark, silently, until the moment they fell asleep in each other's arms.

. . .

* * *

><p><em> <strong>Mahalo nui loa<strong> to everyone who's still with me! There's a review button somewhere below these lines and, if you feel like helping me, tell me what you think about this story! I'm always happy to hear what you think about it! Once again, MAHALO!_


	23. Chapter 23

**Aloha sailors!**

**So, here we are again.. another chapter, not much edit blabla. **I'm pretty sure** you all know those things by heart already. But there's something I'll never get tired of saying, and that's thank you.**

**From the bottom of my heart, thank you everyone who's still with me, everyone who has reviewed, favorited and alerted this story so far! You guys are super duper über awesome! And _huge_ thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! Thank you so much! You are great and I appreciate every single one of you.**

**Also, ****I encourage you all to tell me what you think of it because it helps me a lot, especialy when I'm very uncertain of it.. So, if you feel like helping me (which I would appreaciete greatly), leave a comment!******

******So. New chapter, and, ******_like always_******, the perfectionist in me is not entirely pleased with it but I'll leave it to you guys tell me what you think. I hope you enjoy!  
><strong>****

* * *

><p>It was still dark when Steve woke up. Looking for the clock on the night stand, he noticed it was 2:43 AM in the morning and when he looked around, he noticed he was in his bed, alone.<p>

His mind was still clouded and a little blurry but, the last thing he remembered was falling asleep with Kate by his side.

"Kate?" Steve had propped himself up and noticed the door was slightly open.

Rubbing his eyes, he got out of bed. He considered taking his gun on the first drawer of his nightstand but waved that thought off and just walked out of the door and downstairs.

"Kate?" He had reached the last step but didn't see Kate anywhere. "Kate, are you there?"

Steve was about to get into the kitchen when he saw something that caught his eyes. The back door was also open.

He had just peeked outside when he saw a lonely figure sitting on his lanai, hugging her legs close to her chest and completely unaware of the world around.

"Kate.."

Steve called her in a low tone not to startle her, but it happened anyways.

"Oh, hey," Kate replied after Steve brought her back from her trance. "Hi.. Did I wake you up? I'm sorry I didn't mean to.." She knew she was rambling so she stopped. "Sorry.."

Biting her bottom lip and hugging her legs tighter, she shifter her eyes back to the ocean.

Steve walked to her and sat by her side, just like he did the other day. Except, this time, he didn't let the silence fall upon them.

"It's okay, you didn't wake me up," said Steve simply. Just like Kate, he kept his eyes focused on the ocean ahead, even though it was so dark they could barely see it.

"Yet, here you are," she said, trying to force a smile but it didn't work as it was planned. "You should go back to bed.. It's late."

"I could say just the same," Steve replied, now turning to look at her.

"Probably, yeah.." Kate was now chewing the inner part of her cheeks, still looking to the horizon.

Steve's plan of avoiding the silence didn't quite work when they both ran out of words. But, eventually, Kate broke the silence to his surprise.

"What scares you, Steve?" she asked, turning to look at him for a while. "I mean, you seem to be a very tough guy.. So, what scares you, or at least shakes your ground?"

Steve looked at Kate for a long minute, trying to figure out where did that came from.

"Many things scare me, actually.. I'm very afraid of losing people, especially if they are close to me. I don't like the feeling.. what about you? What scares you?"

"I'm not really sure," she said emotionless. "Lately I feel like I'm scared all the time," Kate added, bringing herself to look at Steve. "And that's not me. Normally I'm strong."

"From where I'm standing, you are strong. I'd say you are stronger than many people," said Steve firmly. He did believe in every single word he said. "But.. Is there anything that I can do to help you?" he asked, and his eyes were showing how real was that offer.

Kate put her chin on her knees and she seemed to consider that for a moment.

"Since my parents died, I've been on my own. I was nineteen years old by the time and I had to learn, from night to day, how to look after myself."

Steve had no idea where they were going with that, but he didn't say anything. He just listened to what Kate had to say.

"I had my brother and he was great, but the lesson I learned is that I needed to be strong, I needed to be tough and I needed to be able to count on me, because, sooner or later, everyone would leave. I needed to be able to hold myself together because I learned the hard way that, eventually, I would have to be able to pick up my pieces, all by myself.

"So I wore this thick skin that would help me with that. And it did. It got me where I am now and, as much as people say it's not right.. It helped me to survive, and I'm quite pleased with it.

"I also learned that going through the past, sometimes, it's not the best thing to do. You can pay it a visit every now and then, but that's it. I like to keep the past in the past and keep going. Where to? I may not always know the answers but I just tell myself to keep going."

Making a pause, Kate finally released her legs from her embrace and sat back.

"But now.. Everything is just so confuse. The Australians are back to haunt me, and I suddenly am not as tough as I used to be. I was hardcore.. now, I feel like I'm becoming soft-core. And it scares me."

Steve had been watching her every movement and noticed how she sank after saying those last words. He didn't need to think harder to know what she was talking about.

"Are you trying to say that you regret kissing me?" It surprised him how cold his words came out of his mouth. They were like ice cubes; maybe more like an icicle to be honest, because it had some sharp edges.

And it surprised Kate just as much; or maybe more because she turned to face him so fast that he thought it was a miracle that it didn't break her neck.

"What? No!" Her face was twisted in disbelief and there were some traces of hurt. "No. I didn't say it," Kate switched her body, in a way that she was looking straight to Steve, with the arm of the chair on her back. "I don't regret anything.. It's just.. I'm scared," she admitted weakly. "You scare me, Steve."

Steve mimicked her acts and was sitting in front of her, looking at her eye to eye.

"I was used to be alone. Even when I was engaged, I knew that I was on my own. And now.. I don't know what to expect! And this uncertainty.. I'm not very fond of it."

Kate's head dropped and her chin was now touching her chest. It was dark and they were sitting in the dark, no lights on anywhere close. She knew he couldn't see her properly, but she was feeling a little ashamed. Never in her life, she dressed out of that thick skin and the full armor she had put on since her parents died.

But that night, while she was sitting by herself, on Steve's lanai, Kate finally noticed how she liked that place and how she disliked being away from Steve, even though she knew he was sleeping peacefully upstairs, not that far from where she was now.

Kate felt like Steve was her weak spot. And she never had a weak spot before.

.

Steve heard perfectly what Kate had said, and he finally understood why she was trying to avoid him, keep some distance between them.

She was afraid, she didn't know what to expect and he felt a somewhat relieved when he heard that, because he felt just the same.

"Come here," Steve said reaching for her hands and pulling her closer.

Kate allowed herself to do as he was asking and, in a blink of an eye, she had her back against Steve's chest and his arms were locked around her; Kate felt her heart rate increase.

"Kate.. I'll be very honest with you right now. If you were hoping to get some answers, I'm sorry but I'll disappoint you," Steve whispered in her ear as his hands caressed her arms; she shivered a little when her brain registered those words.

"You're not disappointing me, Steven," she replied quietly. "Not really. I wasn't hoping to get answers nor anything.. I just thought I should let you know.. I mean. I wanted to give you a heads up on where you're getting yourself into.."

"Okay," Steve said still holding her close to him. "Message received."

"Okay," she replied, trying to suppress a yawn but completely failing.

"Alright, Sleeping Beauty. Let's get you back to bed," he said standing up, and Kate followed him. They were holding hands but Steve made a sign to Kate walk in front of him and with a _'thank you'_, she gracefully walked around him, but when she was about to get back inside, Steve stopped.

"What i-"

The moment she turned to ask him what happened, Steve took a step further, one hand entangled with Kate's and the other one cupping her face, he pulled her to a kiss.

The feeling of her lips on his was as overwhelming as it was the first time, and she tasted even sweeter than he remembered.

Kate was surprised with that, but didn't put up any resistance. Instead, she gave in to that amazing sensation once again. His tongue playing with hers in a slow yet passionate pace, his hand caressing her cheek while their bodies were pressed together like they were magnets, his scent numbing her senses and making her beg for more. That was more than enough for Kate to forget the fear, forget her stupid rules, just forget everything she thought she knew her entire life.

And when Kate found herself ending that moment because she was starting to get physically numbed, she knew, all over again that, if she could go back in time and change what happened between them, she wouldn't change a thing.

Kate was still breathing, her eyes closed, when she felt Steve's lips teasing hers as he whispered some words that only later made sense.

"I know what I'm getting myself into," said Steve before placing a quick kiss on her lips and practically drag a semi-conscious Kate with him, all the way back to his bedroom.

It was now 3:14 AM and, much like when they went to bed about four hours earlier, Kate and Steve fell asleep together, but this time, Kate was holding onto Steve's hands and arms that were wrapping her body and Steve could feel her back was resting against his chest and the rhythm and the sound of her breathings sounded like a lullaby.

**xxx**

They woke up about three hours later, with Steve's phone going crazy.

"McGarrett," he answered it with a deep and husky voice that made Kate open her eyes just a little to take a peek on what was going on.

She saw Steve sitting right beside her and she was engulfed by surprise for about half a second, until the memories of last night briefed her.

For a moment, Kate felt embarrassment for allowing her emotions to speak louder than her reasons, but it all vanished when she remembered their second kiss and when Steve leaned on and whispered a _'good morning'_ in her ear.

"Morning," Kate replied in a purr, making Steve grin still on his phone.

Kate looked for her phone but it was nowhere to be found; she forgot to bring it with her last night. With a smile on her face and feeling like a teenage girl, Kate got out of bed and walked downstairs, after her phone that was still connected to the charger.

When Kate leaned to take the phone, she noticed something outside that caught her attention; a black sedan was just passing in front of Steve's house. It made Kate start operating on high alert mode again. Sure it could be just someone who happened to be around exactly when she appeared in front of the window, but Kate didn't believe in coincidences and she wouldn't rest until she find out if the Japanese mafia was after Steve.

Disconnecting the phone from its charger, Kate quickly called DC, not bothering checking who called her; there were three messages but she didn't check any.

"Trish, it's Kate. I need you to run a plate for me."

_"Go ahead."_

"It's from Hawaii. Plate is Juliet, Whiskey, Two, Five, Zero, Echo."

_"Okaay.. Got it. The car is registered on the name of Camille Johns."_

"Any connections with the Yakuza?"

_"Nope."_

Kate sighed a somewhat relieved. "Alright.. Uh- Trish, would do me a huge favor and keep track on Wo Fat's moves? I should have asked this earlier but anyways, I want to know if the man is up to something before he knows it."

_"Okay. Whatever you wish my dear.. But.. Weren't you working on a case about Australians?"_

"I am," Kate replied emotionless.

_"Then.. Why the Yakuza is suddenly back on the game?" _asked Trish very confused.

"They never left, Trish. I came here to investigate the Governor's murder. And it's linked to Wo Fat, who is Yakuza.. I'm just currently involved on something else, but they never left the game field."

_"Honestly, Kate.. You need to get a life. How can you even do that? I mean.. How are you handling all this? It's pretty heavy, you know.."_

"I'm handling it.. Don't worry. Just do what I asked. And call me if you find anything. Anything. Anytime." She was still looking through the window and didn't notice someone sneaking right behind her. "I don't care if it's three in the morning.."

"What's so important that deserves a call at three in the morning?" Steve whispered in her ear and Kate almost jumped out of her skin.

"HOLY CRAP!" Kate almost threw her phone at Steve who was playfully smirking at her. "Are you trying to kill me, giving me a heart attack or something?"

"I can assure you that I am definitely not trying to kill you," he said wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her lips softly.

"Definitely?" she asked cocking an eyebrow and just pushing Steve a bit far from her.

"Most definitely," he said pulling her closer.

Kate forgot about her phone, about Trish and about pretty much everything while Steve was holding her. He was also the one to remind her that she was on the phone with someone.

"Oh, crap! Right." Struggling to let go of Steve's arms, Kate brought her phone back to her ear. "Hey, Trish.."

_"What happened?"_ she asked with a very evident suspicious tone of voice, and Kate knew her enough to know that Trish had leaned back on her chair and was not paying any attention to her job.

"I just got distracted for a moment.." Looking around, Kate noticed Steve had left and apparently went into the kitchen.

_"Aham.. I noticed that.. What caused you such distraction? Or should I ask.. who?"_

"Neither, Patricia. Let's just focus here, okay. What I asked you. Please."

_"Oh, sugar.. I'll keep you posted on Wo Fat's movements. Now you tell me what did I miss?"_

"Nothing, Trish. You didn't miss anything."

_"It was Commander McSexy, wasn't it?"_

"Mc-_What_? No.. No."

_"I KNEW IT!"_ Trish screamed so loud that Kate had to put it away and cover it._ "Oh God, I knew it. You guys are together together or what? Wait. You're not pushing him away, are you? Kate.. you cannot always push people away. And if you are doing this to him, I'll smack you with a spoon when I see you again, do you hear me?"_

"Trish, I-" Kate tried to say something but the woman wouldn't stop talking!

_"You can't do it to everyone, Kate! You can't always act all Arizona and pretend you have that thick steel protection like it did, and-"_

"OH MY GOD, WOMAN, STOP! Sweet Jesus, just stop it." Kate took a deep breath to just calm down a little; she loved Trish, but she would get on her nerves sometimes. "I'm not doing it, okay? I'm not being.. well, me, this time. I mean, I am.. but it's a different me.. I don't know. I can't explain it. I just.. I don't know."

_"Aaaaaw.. Sweetie. You're in love,"_ whispered Trish, her voice was so sweet that Kate rolled her eyes.

"I'm not," she replied defensive. She certainly didn't want to go that place that soon. "I am not. Why am I talking to you about this anyways?"

_"Because I'm your best friend and you love me and your love life is now way better than mine,"_ Trish replied cheerfully, and Kate couldn't help but allow a small smile to appear on her face.

"Whatever, woman.. Now, seriously. Wo Fat."

_"Already on it."_

"Great. I gotta go now, but we'll talk soon, okay?"

_"Oh, you bet. And hey, I'm so proud of you.."_

"Bye, Trish," Kate insisted as she turned her back to the window.

_"See ya."_

Finally ending the phone call, Kate walked to the kitchen where Steve was making some coffee.

"Hey," he said as soon as she got into the place. Kate just offered Steve a smile and leaned on the door frame. "So, I was talking to Cahill.."

Kate squinted at that information. "Wait, Chris called you? How come?"

"Well, _Chris_ wanted to know if we were able to find you," said Steve and Kate noticed how he said Christopher's nickname a little sarcastically. "He also said he wanted to speak with us later, and because he didn't get to talk to you, he called me."

Hearing what Steve had just said made Kate suddenly remember the missed calls she had and she was quickly checking those.

Chris did call her this morning. At 5:52 AM.

"That's it?" Kate asked, looking back at Steve.

"Why? There should be more?" Steve questioned curiously.

"I don't know.. All I know is that he called me before six o'clock," she said showing him her phone.

"Huh.."

A furrow appeared on Kate's forehead as she watched Steve; it seemed to her that he wasn't saying everything. "_Huh_ what?"

"Nothing," Steve said with a shrug. "I was just wondering how Cahill is, how can I say it.. interested? Maybe, committed."

"The Agent Cahill I know is very committed to the job," said Kate, half annoyed, half amused. It was quite fun to hear that, even though she knew that the odds that Steve felt truly affected by Chris were very minimal.

"I noticed that yesterday, when we asked him about you and then he called at every ten minutes to see if we have found you. Clearly," Steve said taking one step further and willingly invading her personal space. "You are one huge part of the job."

"That's not it," Kate said after a moment thinking. "He said he'd check if White was the second guy at the deposit.. And if he knows who I am." As she spoke those words, her hands flew to grab her phone that was on Steve's hands, but he put it away and took her hands on his.

"Do I want to know why he's doing this?" asked Steve; so far, he was just being humorous, but now, he was starting to get things seriously.

Kate felt the sudden change on the tone of that conversation and adjusted appropriately as well.

"If you think you're the only one who wants to be in this case, and by in I mean an active part of it, you are so incredibly wrong."

Kate spoke with such calm but with so much determination that made Steve want to just grab her by the shoulders and shake her until something get inside her head.

"You cannot be serious," he said looking deep in her eyes, desperate for a sign that he was misreading the information he just got. "You want to get into it, as in a field action."

"More like under cover work, but yes, field action fits alright."

The way Kate said those words, so confident, made Steve let go of her hand for a moment and turn his back to her. The coffee he was making had been forgotten a while ago.

"You know.. I can't accept that," Steve said when he turned back to look at her.

"With all possible respect, Steve. This decision is not yours to make." Kate tried to pick the right words, the right tone, even her eyes eased and her body wasn't showing any signs of tension or anything, but still, Steve's reaction wasn't very subtle.

"You're right. It's not. But I thought you'd be a little more rational about it!" He ran his fingers through his short hair. "For God's sake woman, you were just shot at! Why would you want to get into the middle of the mess?"

"What would you do?"

Steve locked his eyes on Kate's and she felt like he was staring into her soul; she could practically hear him saying _'how dare you to ask this to me?'_, because, whether he liked it or not, she knew exactly what his answer would be. It was the same answer and the same reason why she was doing it. Steve would go for it, because it was happening in his Island, his home. And even though Hawaii wasn't exactly her home, the Five-0s weren't exactly her team, she'd do anything to protect them.

"Fair enough," Steve said with a short nod after a minute, maybe more. "I mean, at least we'll be there too." This last sentence was more like a reassurance to himself than an agreement to what she was saying - deep down, Steve wasn't the least bit happy with the idea of Kate going under cover. She'd get too close to the threat and he didn't think it was wise.

Kate just smiled at him. "It will be alright," she said and, much like Steve's words, she was just voicing a wish. Every time she thought about the Australians, flashbacks from the last encounter she had with them returned and she feared for Steve, Danny, Kono, Chin and every single person who was involved with this.. even Chris.

"Yeah," said Steve quite emotionless, as he added in his head _"I sure hope so"_ but he never spoke it out loud.

They could see in each others eyes how both of them were at least a little scared, so Kate pulled Steve for a tight embrace, and the hug felt like a promise. A promise that they would be okay.

Kate had her head on Steve's chest and for a long while, all she did was to listen to his heartbeats - it was beating a little faster than the usual, but it felt alright because it matched hers. Steve was the one to bring her back to Earth when he tipped her head up so he could steal a kiss from her mouth. It was sweet and caring at first, but then it became more passionate, avid and full of desire.

Steve had taken a few steps back, bringing Kate with him and suddenly, she felt her back pressed to a cold surface; she couldn't hold back a moan when she felt the shocking difference of temperatures.

"Do that again and I do not take any responsibility on what comes next," Steve whispered while his lips were still touching Kate's; his voice was so low and deep and husky that made her shiver head to toe.

"Is that a promise?" Kate asked seductively as she ran the tip of her tongue through his lips.

Their eyes met and the only thing they both could see was the desire that was so clearly evident in their eyes, their cracked lips, their erratic breathing - their bodies were screaming their eagerness for each other. They wanted each other so badly that it caused them physical pain when Kate's phone rang loudly on the sink, where Steve had put it.

_'COME OOOON! SERIOUSLY? NOW?'_ The thought crossed Kate's head and, even though she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, she didn't voice it. Instead, she lowered her head and leaned back on what she found out to be the fridge - she would never look at that fridge the same way again. She was hungry and it wasn't for food.

It rang for the third time when she finally made a move. Putting both hands on Steve's chest, she pushed him, very much against her will.

"Let it ring," he said as he grabbed her hands and pulled her with him while taking a step back. With their lips again glued together, Steve's words came out a little muffled. "Let it ring and you check it later."

"Just let me see who's calling," Kate said, trying to grab the phone that was right in front of her. "And you should check that water unless starting a fire is on your to-do list for today," she added when her eyes fell on the kettle that was still on the fire.

"Oh crap," Steve hissed and let go of Kate's body just to turn the fire off and to learn that the kettle was empty.

"It's Chris," Kate said looking at her phone and then to Steve. She wasn't exactly sure why she told him that.

"Taylor," she answered professionally and it brought a smirk to Steve's face.

_"Kate! Finally! Oh my.. finally.. How are you?"_

"I am alright," she answered politely, even though she wanted to strangle him right now. "Thanks for asking.. How about you?"

_"A lot better now. What happened yesterday? You vanished."_

"I just needed a moment alone, unwind. But I'm fine and back on the game, so.. what's up?"

_"Okay.. I have two things for you. First, you were right. The second guy outside the warehouse was James White."_

"Oh!" she exclaimed. Kate didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. "And, uh.. How did you find out?"

_"Thanks to Ackleman's dead body. I was able to convince some people that I knew people, and I got to talk to Ackleman before he died."_

"Woah.. Rewind and repeat that. You did what?" Kate felt like her stomach had just disappeared and left a hole in her body. _What did he do?_

_"Relax. I didn't give any names, I just said I knew some people and I got to him; it's a criminal organization, Kate, not the Supreme Court, there are secrets everywhere. So of course, no one quite believed me at first, but when I showed them Ackleman's body in the backseat of my car, what I said became more believable."_

Steve watched as Kate's attitude turned into the serious FBI Agent she was. All he knew was that it was Cahill, now, as for what they were talking about, he could only assume it was work.

"And no one asked about anything?" Kate questioned.

_"They did. But they knew I didn't know squat about the deposit and everything so I basically told them what you told me. That he was injured badly and didn't last long enough so I could get many answers.."_

"Alright," said Kate pacing through the kitchen. She walked past Steve but didn't address him not even a glance. "But what about White? Did he see me and Chin?"

Steve's expression suddenly matched Kate's. They were talking about that just minutes ago.

_"That's the second thing I have for you."_ Cahill made a dramatic pause that made Kate want to slap him. _"He didn't see you, or Chin."_

Kate stopped on her tracks and took a deep breath - that was good news. She wasn't exactly sure about the first part, when Chris told her that White was the guy outside the warehouse but knowing that he didn't get to see her nor Chin was definitely good news.

Steve noticed Kate's reaction and that made him furrow his brows while thinking.

"That's.. Good news," Kate said quite relieved.

_"I thought you'd like that. Anyways. I got to talk to him last night - while you were missing - and he wasn't at his best. He got shot, but he knew a doctor and he patched him.."_

"He'll be back in no time," Kate thought out loud.

_"Probably. So, here's what happened: I asked him about what happened. He said he and Ackleman went to the warehouse to finish a job; he didn't say what was it. Then, Ackleman was the one to go while White was the one to stand behind to provide backup if needed; then he heard shots being fired inside the warehouse, but then he noticed they were from three different guns. He was about to go inside when a Police car arrived at the place, shots were fired and he and the Officer got hit. After that, he went to his car and left. He mentioned that there were people shooting at him, but he didn't get to see who they were."_

There was a pause while Kate's brain was processing the information. "You said they were there to finish a job.. What's that supposed to mean?"

Kate tried to remember if there was a car following her and Chin, from the victim's place to the deposit but she was positive there weren't any. Did she miss something?

_"Not sure, but I have reasons to believe they were after the content of the deposit."_

'Reasons to believe' wasn't exactly the kind of answer she was waiting for. Chris could be wrong.. But then, she remembered Ackleman's words. He said she had make things easier for him opening the deposit. Maybe she was the one overreacting.

"Alright," she said quickly, afraid that her silence would tell him something. "Thanks Chris."

_"You're welcome. I spoke with McGarrett.. We'll talk later, okay?"_

"Sure. No problem."

_"Bye."_

"Bye."

By the time that Kate hang up her phone, Steve had put water to boil and this time, he succeeded making coffee; he handed her a mug, which she accepted in a heartbeat.

"Oh, thanks," she said taking a sip of the black liquid. Kate also noticed Steve's questioning eyes on her.

"It was White," she said, putting the mug down for a while. Steve did the same. "The second guy, outside the warehouse who put Officer Helms in the Hospital, was James White."

Steve's body suddenly stiffened. James White and George Ackleman were not handy-man, so, why they were there?

"But he didn't get to see me or Chin, so it's one thing we don't need to worry about," she said with a smile that didn't look right to Steve.

"If we don't need to worry about, then why you seem a little distressed?"

Kate reached for her coffee once again and allowed herself to take a long sip of it, while trying to think of a way to express what she had in mind.

"Because we still don't know what their plans are," she said looking deep in his eyes.

"And..?"

Kate sighed. "And I'm not comfortable with-" her voice failed very badly.

"With?" questioned Steve, taking a step back and stopping inches away from Kate.

"With this," she said raising her eyes. Then she realized it could be interpreted wrongly so she continued. "I mean.. I know you'll say _'it's crazy!'_, or _'what are you saying?'_, maybe _'why are we even doing this, anyways?'_ but.. The thing is: I know Christopher. But I would be a lot more comfortable if I was the one getting the information."

Steve studied her for a while. She wasn't lying; he could see, now and even when she was on the phone that she wasn't happy with all that.

"You don't trust him?" Steve asked, trying to be as neutral as it was possible.

"It's not that simple," Kate admitted. Biting her lower lip, what Steve already recognized as a sign that she wasn't content, she thought of a way to put things as she felt. "I know that he's a good Agent, and I believe he's trustworthy.."

"But something happened the last time you two worked together," Steve added carefully. "And you have doubts.."

"Well, yeah.. Something like that," Kate admitted. Then, she reached for her phone once again and Steve watched as she made a phone call.

"Chin, it's Kate.. Tyler Helms, how is he?" Steve only heard about Officer Helms, but he could understand Kate's concern; he was shot while doing his job, and now that she learned about White's involvement, it was only natural that she wanted to check if he was alright. "Great. I'd like to ask you to put security on him 24/7, for as long as he stays at the hospital. James White was the guy outside the warehouse.. Yeah, I don't know if he'll go after him but I'm not willing to risk it.. No, I'm good. According to Cahill, White didn't see us." Kate made a silent prayer, thanking that she wasn't having that conversation with Chin face to face; otherwise he'd see the concern in her eyes, just like Steve did. "Yes, thank you, Chin. See you later."

As soon as she ended that phone call, Kate felt Steve's eyes on her. "I'm not willing to lose anyone to this shit," she said looking back at him. "Not again."

"Honestly," Steve said as he took one tiny step forward and nothing else, except their clothes, were avoiding their body contact. "I wouldn't expect anything else from you."

Kate smirked as she grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him to another kiss.

. . .

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mahalo nui loa<strong> to everyone who's still with me! There's a review button somewhere below these lines and, if you feel like helping me, tell me what you think about this story! I'm always happy to hear what you think about it! Once again, MAHALO!_


	24. Chapter 24

**Aloha!**

**Thank you everyone who's reading this, has reviewed, favorited and/or alerted this story so far! You guys are super duper über awesome! And _huge_ thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! Thank you so much! You are great and I appreciate every single one of you.**

**So, here we are again.. another chapter, might not be enough, all that stuff you already know, but in any case, I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>"Whatever you have, Danno, it better be great."<p>

It was getting really annoying having cell phones on that morning. They woke up with a phone call from Cahill to McGarrett, then, for Steve's delight, Cahill called Kate in the most inopportune hour ever, and now it was Danny's turn.

_"Woah.. Grumpy. With an attitude like that, you'll die sooner, you know that?"_

Steve looked at Kate, who was looking at him; she had this huge smile on her face. She was feeling frustrated with all the interruptions, but the look in Steve's face when he heard his phone ringing when they were on the middle of the stairs was so hilarious that she couldn't help but find that highly amusing.

And now, there they were, sitting on the stairs, Steve on the phone with his partner while Kate just watched the whole scene.

"Well, I'm pretty sure it'll happen, but not because of my mood," Steve said rolling his eyes. Kate just chuckled as she left Steve alone with his partner on the phone.

If it was Danny, and at that time, then Kate was almost a hundred per cent sure it was not a social call.

_"What's that supposed to mean? No, you know what? Don't tell me. I don't wanna know. I called you, Mr. Anti-social, to let you know that yesterday, Kono was going through the laptop and hard drive again, and Chin happened to show up, and they found something quite interesting.."_

"So? What is it?"

_"I think you should come here with Kate. I'm not sure but I think it's somehow related to her last assignment to Australia."_

Steve remembered the conversation he had with Kate just hours ago, and he remembered her saying that she didn't like reenacting her past. He could only imagine how she would react to that. "Okay. We'll be there in a few."

_"Great. We're waiting."_

Hanging up as soon as he heard those words, Steve walked to his room and, as expected, Kate was locked in his bathroom and he could hear the shower open.

Picking his usual wardrobe - black cargo pants and white T-Shirt - he ran to the bathroom downstairs so they could get to the HQ as fast as it was possible.

.

"Can I drive?"

Steve told Kate about Danny's call and now, they were right outside Steve's place, right next to her car when Steve asked that question.

Kate would have said no to anyone who asked her that - but not Steve.

"I suppose it's only fair if I say yes, after all, I drove the Marquis, didn't I?" she said as she walked around her V12 Vantage and stopped by Steve's side, next to the passenger door. "BUT do not screw it, alright."

Kate was holding the keys away from Steve's hand when she said those last words.

"Oh, I'll do my best," he said as he took the keys from her hands and stole a kiss from her lips. Then, with a smile on his face, he walked to the driver's side and occupied the seat behind the steering wheel.

Kate never let anyone drive her cars, but Steve wasn't anyone, and she felt quite glad to be the shotgun.

Ever since she lost her parents, Kate became colder; she kept people at safe distance. She didn't know if she was able to handle any other disappointments or losses. But things were changing slowly, and she noticed it when she sat on the passenger seat of her very own car and thought back on everything that happened to her lately. Addressing a glance at Steve who was just taking her Aston Martin back on the streets, she smiled but shivered at the same time; that man was responsible for a considerable part of the changes in her life, and she couldn't help but wonder if he wouldn't let her down. That's why she felt a little scared of him, he made her feel things she never experienced before, and it was quite scaring.

"So, are you always that impulsive?" Steve asked once they were already on their way to the Five-0 headquarters.

"Come again?" asked Kate, back from her wander.

"This car," he said, looking at her every now and then. "You just went to the dealership and bought it?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

"Great." Kate said gladly, but she felt Steve eyeing her at every opportunity he had. "Look, I needed a car, so I got one," she said with a shrug.

"A _two hundred and fifty thousand dollars_ car?"

Kate sighed. There was a reason why she bought that vehicle. "It was not an impulsive purchase like you're thinking," she said when they stopped at a red light. "I could have bought a different car? Sure. But I didn't do it without thinking.. Well, maybe I wasn't being exactly rational when I went after it, but.." Kate took a deep breath, fixing her eyes on something in front of them. "I already told you that my dad and I shared a passion for automobiles. So when I went to the dealership yesterday, I needed something very specific. Yesterday morning, I felt like I wasn't wining, regardless of my efforts.. I felt like I was losing too much. So I saw it. And yes, it's an expensive car, but this isn't just a car. It's a machine, and it's great. And it reminded me of my father, he was that great. It also has the engine that would endure a race. So I bought it because if I ever feel that way again, I can just get my keys and drive - it helps me to unwind. Because whenever I drive, and especially when I race, I feel I'm me again. Like I'm a little girl again, on the tracks, and my dad's still with me."

Steve heard Kate's words quietly. She just kept from him the part that she bought that car because she sort of fell in love with it.. and, because she thought she was losing Steve, she could at least have that car. It was just a car, but to Kate, by that time, it was more than that.

"But of course, my brother will kill me when he find out," Kate added, her mood went from serious to relaxed.

"How so? You used his savings?"

"No, I used mine.. But he'll say I'll get myself killed with it. And he's not going to sew me back together."

Steve and Kate shared a moment of laughter.

"So, you're not an impulsive person," Steve said as he settled back on the seat.

"I never said that," Kate replied with a smile when Steve had parked her car. They had reached their destination.

**xxx**

"Danny, what do you have?"

Steve had barely walked through the huge glass doors, with Kate by his side, and was already inquiring his partner.

"Oh, hello to you too, grumpy," Danny said and Steve rolled his eyes while Kate smiled. "Morning, Kate."

"Good Morning, Dan," she said kissing his cheeks. "Kono," she winked to the Asian girl who was right by Danny's side. "So, I heard you guys found something.."

"Yes," Danny said, giving Steve a reproving look. "Thank you for acknowledging it."

"Oh, shut up, Danny," Steve said, not exactly mad at him, just slightly annoyed. "You didn't find anything. You said it was Kono and Chin."

"Well, yes. But what? That gives you the right to be all bitchy and moody? I don't think so! I didn't do anything for you, so why are you treating me like that? Huh? Why are you giving me this attitude? ..."

Kono and Kate were just watching that scene. The two women had this small smile on their faces - it was quite amusing to see Steve and Danny arguing over silly things.

Sharing a glance with Kate, Kono decided to intervene - even though they were having a lot more fun than they really should. "Okay.. Will you two girls stop acting like three years old so we can talk about important things?"

Danny and Steve turned to look at Kono and Kate. They were trying to be act like that was an unacceptable behavior coming from an ex-SEAL, current leader of the Hawaiian Task Force, and a Jersey Detective, but both were failing epically because the smile on their faces was still visible when the two men stared at them.

"Alright. Go ahead, Kono," Steve said when he and Danny stopped with their good old teasing.

"Okay. So, while I was going through O'Hanlin's computer and belongings, I found some interesting things referred to Australia/05." Kono glanced at Kate, and when she looked back at the woman working on that smart table, she also noticed Danny and Steve were looking at her. Kate didn't say anything, she just shifted her eyes so she was looking at the screens once again and Kono kept going. "Then, I found this odd file that was highly protected; so, I asked Chin for a little help and, well, I found something that I could only classify as interesting."

As she said those words, she opened the file she was talking about and Kate felt like she had just been hit by a truck. She was looking at surveillance photos from almost everyone who was assigned to work in Australia that year. Almost. She couldn't see pictures of herself or anyone else that wasn't on the field - they weren't many, just five, one for each department as they called. But there they were: Interpol, local Police, the armed forces of Australia, even a couple of CIA and Homeland Security people.

She could easily find a few pictures of Cahill, but what made her forget to breathe were Mark's photos. The man who was left behind. Kate would never accept that; she now knew it was probably for the best, and that, most definitely, it saved her life along with a few others but she would never forget that they left someone behind. It could be acceptable for the Agency, but not for her.

"I took the liberty to check on everyone that was photographed, everyone is alright.. well, almost everyone."

No one noticed, but Kate suddenly stiffened. She wasn't moving a muscle, and her facial expression was blank. Not even a hint of any emotion of any kind. _Nada._

"What do you mean almost everyone?" asked Steve to Kono, but he got his answer from someone else.

"Mark Sheppard is dead," said Kate emotionless.

Everyone's eyes landed on her, but she didn't show any kind of discomfort or anything else. She had her game face on and it wouldn't go away that easily.

"Well.. Yes," said Kono in a low voice. They all were now very aware of the gigantic changes that Kate had been through during those seconds.

Danny left Steve's side and walked to where she was standing. "Kate.."

She just inhaled deeply and shook her head. "Why would O'Hanlin have those pictures? How he got his hands on those?"

Kate forced a pause, just like she forced the air into her lungs. She just got a lot of information and didn't know what else to think. Running her fingers through her hair, she tried to organize the thoughts in her head but it was like a hurricane happened inside her head and everything was completely twisted and upside down.

"Uh- These photos weren't from O'Hanlin, not originally. I found a flash drive in the middle of his papers and that's where they were," Kono explained quite quickly; she had hopes that Kate would relax at least a little. "He might have gotten those from someone else.."

"Alright.. We gotta find out from who?"

It was Steve's turn to try to bring Kate back to her normal self - she was trying to demonstrate she wasn't being affected by that, but everyone in that room knew what she was doing, and they also knew how that was not good.

"Kate," he said approaching her slowly. "Why don't you have a sit for a while? C'mon.."

"Don't even think about it, Steven." Kate said as soon as he reached her and had his hand on her shoulders.

"Look, we'll find the answers to your questions, I promise you. Just-"

"You try to push me away from this.. I'll go behind your back, it's your call," she said through her teeth so anyone else could hear it.

"Don't do it, Kate," he whispered back.

"Steve, you asked me to trust in you. And I did. Now it's my turn. You need to trust me a little bit better than this," she said, then her tough expression eased a little, but not enough. "I won't do anything reckless. I was there. I saw how this whole thing can became hell on Earth. I'm not that stupid. I won't wear a blindfold and run towards the war zone."

Steve swallowed hard. Kate seemed to be quite rational, and, even though he wasn't that much comfortable with her reaction when she saw the photos, he knew she would get in contact with that sooner or later and he would have to trust that she would be able to handle it. He knew she could deal with that, but there was this constant thing in his head that feared for her safety.

"Steve," she continued with the same calm tone when he didn't say a word. "Those over there - I worked with them. I was there. Just because you don't get to see me, it doesn't mean I wasn't involved. And now I get to know that there were people watching us.. I need you to trust me here, Steve. Please."

Steve turned to face her; he had drifted his eyes far from her when she asked him to trust her. He trusted her, but what she was asking..

"Please," she said in a whisper.

Kate's eyes weren't demanding and her whole body wasn't tense anymore, and maybe, because he saw those things, he agreed with that.

"Alright.. But don't try to be a hero."

"I never try to be such thing," she replied with a small smile on her face. She might have won that battle, but the war was far from being over, and she would not rest until she put an end to that story. Once and for all.

"So," she said turning her attention back to Danny and Kono. While she had her sort of private conversation with Steve, they just stood there, trying to look like they were busy, but everyone knew they weren't. "Kono, can you try to find out where those photos are originally from?"

"I can try," Kono replied. "But it might take a while."

"I don't mind waiting," said Kate. "If you want, I can ask some friends to assist you."

Kono gave her a short nod after a second thinking. "I think it would be good to have your friends to give me some assistance."

Kate smiled. "I'll make some phone calls," she said after turning her back to them.

.

"You think it's wise?" asked Danny to Steve when Kate stopped in front of the windows, fairly far from where they were standing. "Kate staying on this investigation when she's clearly affected by it?"

"Danny, I don't think I'll talk her out of this; I don't think anyone would be able to talk her out of this.. And even if it happened, she wouldn't give up. So, no. I don't think it's wise," Steve said glancing at the figure next to the windows. "But I rather have her on it, where I can see her, other than to watch her go out there and without any protection."

"Well, I must say.. It makes sense," Danny admitted. "I mean, it's a bit crazy, but it could be a lot worse so.."

"So.. Shouldn't we let Cahill know about this?"

"No," said Steve quickly. "Not yet.. There's something about this guy that's bugging me."

"Well, maybe - just maybe - it could be because they know each other for a while?" asked Kono. She didn't need to add that the object of Steve's concern is quite good looking; it was implicit on the way she asked that.

"No, that's not it," Steve answered giving her a look that only made Kono chuckle. "Kate doesn't trust him completely.."

Kono looked at Steve dubiously, but that expression vanished when Danny spoke.

"That is true," he said, making Steve turn to look at him with curious eyes. "She told me they had one hell of an argument and it cost them their friendship.."

"An argument?" Kono questioned also very curious. Kate and Christopher seemed to be quite close.. "About what?"

"I don't know," Danny admitted unhappy. "She didn't give me details, she just said they had a fight and they didn't speak for about seven years.."

Steve glanced at Kate. She was still on her phone. He needed to know what happened, but he wasn't sure she would tell him. Maybe he would have to ask Chris directly, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that..

The thought had just crossed his mind when Kate turned and was on her way to join them again.

"Can I have my keys?" she asked Steve. He addressed her a curious glance, quietly asking where she was going because she was still on the phone. "I just need my laptop and it's on my car," Kate explained and, with a nod, Steve took the keys from his pocket and returned them to Kate.

"Thank you. I'll be right back," she whispered and, turning her back to them, she walked out of the HQ.

.

"Trish, did you get anything on Wo Fat?" Kate waited till she was out of the building to ask the TA about that. She knew how it could be a somewhat delicate subject and she didn't want Steve to throw a fit over something she didn't have much to work.

_"Not yet, sweetheart. But I'm working on it. It's on my priority list, I promise"_

"Okay, thanks a lot.. And Trish, I'm gonna ask you to keep this between us, alright?"

_"Alright, I suppose.."_

"I just don't want to create a circus here when we still have nothing.. So, not a word about this with Kono, or anyone, got it?"

Trish was about to help Kono with the Australians and Kate wanted to do one thing at a time. Once she had something about Wo Fat to work with, she'd definitely tell everyone.

_"Okay, I get it."_

"Thank you. Again."

_"No problem, sweetie. I don't quite like it when you insist on working solo, but I'm glad to help.."_

Kate had already taken her laptop and all the cables and was on her way back to the HQ.

"You're my angel, Trish. Now, please, the Australians only."

"Roger that, boss."

Kate just rolled her eyes as she walked through the glass doors to join everyone again.

Still holding the laptop, she asked if she could borrow the smart table. After a 'sure' from Kono, Kate connected the two devices.

"Alright, Trish, call me."

Before anyone could ask what was going on, they noticed a video conference being requested and Kate accepted it while ending the phone call.

_"Hey sweetheart."_ Trish's voice filled the room. Now, everyone could see the TA who provided Kate with a whole lot of information.

Danny, Kono and Steve were now looking at the woman on the screen; a redhead with big blue eyes, small nose and lips that were open in a huge smile. Her delicate features combined with the short hair and her voice that was a slightly soft gave everyone the impression that she was a lot younger to that job.

"Hey, Trish," greeted Kate with a smile and cheerful voice. "It's great seeing you again."

_"I could say the same, sugar."_

The two women exchanged an open smile before Kate introduced her to everyone.

"Well, guys, this is Patricia Adams. She's a TA in DC and responsible for pretty much every information I get," Kate said looking at the three people standing by her side. "Trish, these are Kono Kalakaua, Danny Williams and Steve McGarrett. We're working together," Kate added quickly when she noticed Trish's grin after she said McGarrett's name.

_"Sure you are,"_ she replied amused, causing Kate to blush lightly and wonder if that was really necessary to put Trish to work with Kono.. _"It's nice meeting everyone, and you can call me Trish."_

"Hi Trish," they all said in unison and Trish just smiled in response.

"So, how can I help you?"

Kate looked at Kono and with a nod, she understood she was the one to explained Trish what they were after while Kate would answer her phone. "We have some photos, surveillance photos, that we found on a flash drive with a victim and we're trying to track its source.. Think you can help us?"

_"Well, I suppose can try,"_ Trish said thoughtfully. Tracking photos that were on a flash drive wasn't easy at all. Maybe there could be something on them that would lead them to a computer but it was a long shot, and apparently, Kono knew it.

"Great. I'll send you the content of the flash drive," said Kono.

.

"Taylor."

Kate had taken a few steps away from everyone to answer her phone.

_"Kate, it's Chin. I think there's something you'd like to know.."_

"I'm listening."

Danny was the one who noticed it when Kate hung up the phone; she wasn't exactly disturbed, but she was dead serious again.

"Hey," he nudged Steve and pointed to Kate with his eyes only.

"Hey.. something wrong?" Steve asked when he saw that Kate was walking back to join them.

"I got a call from Chin," she explained shortly. "I'll go talk to him."

"We'll go with you," Steve said as she walked past him and Danny.

"Not necessary. Besides, you should stay in case Chris shows up," Kate told Steve and Danny, then she turned her attention to Trish and Kono. "I spoke with Agent Colin Reed, NSA and Thomas Hillborne, Interpol. In case you guys need anything, they'll help. Let me know if you find anything. I'll be back as soon as I can."

No one had a chance to say anything and Kate was already walking out of the HQ.

"Uh- exactly what happened.. over there?" questioned Trish, with an expression that tell them she didn't understand a thing. "Do I want to know?"

"Well, as far as I can tell, Kate got a call from the HPD and went meeting with Chin," said Kono as soon as she managed to send the photos to Trish. "I don't think it's dangerous," she added when Trish's expression didn't ease at all with her explanation. "Chin worked with us. He's reliable."

"I'm sure he is," said Trish in response. "I just don't like to actually see Kate acting like that. It always freaks the he- Nu-uh," she said and, judging by the look in his eyes, she had received the photos.

"Nu-uh what?" asked Danny, voicing what came to everyone's head when her voice broke in the middle of the sentence.

"Did Kate see these photos?" asked Trish not answering Danny's question.

"Yes, she saw it," said Steve a little urgent. "Why?"

"Oh God. OH. GOD." Taking a deep breath, Trish made a pause that was quite unnerving.

"Oh God what? I do not like all this exclamations," said Danny. He was starting to get nervous and Steve and Kono could tell it because his hands were moving a lot more and a lot faster.

"Okay. Do you guys know about Kate's past" asked Trish. She didn't want to be the one to break the news to everyone.

"We know some things, why? What's going on?" Steve was getting as agitated as Danny.

"What do you know? And don't even bother trying to push me," she added when it was clear enough that Steve and Danny were desperately seeking for answers. "Or giving me a hard time. I work with Kate for long enough to endure this so, answer my question and then I'll do my very best to help you."

Danny rubbed his face before talking. He knew that she wouldn't just talk if it was related to Kate's past; Trish didn't know them and it was only natural that she'd feel the need to protect her friend. "Alright. Fair enough. We know that those photos are from Australia, and Kate worked there before joining the Bureau, while she was still an Interpol Agent."

Trish nodded. "Okay. So you know about it. Now, you know who this is?" she asked and photo of Christopher Cahill appeared on the screen.

"Yes," said Danny. "This is Christopher Cahill. They worked together." Trish's face had just returned on the screen when he added: "And he's helping us."

"Woah.. Christopher Cahill is the 'Chris' that Kate just mentioned?" Her eyes went wide open, and they thought they could see every single detail of those blue eyes.

"Yes, that's him," confirmed Kono. "Why?"

"Because those two.. Well, they have some sort of history," Trish said while going through the photos.

"What do you mean the have history? What exactly is that supposed to mean?" It was Steve turn to ask and he wasn't particularly happy with that.

"Okay. I promise this is the last one," said Trish and, once again, her face vanished and it gave place to a photo of a man wearing an uniform. He had some grey hairs but seemed quite fit to the job. "Do you know who this is?" Trish's voice came through the speakers, but this time, Danny and Steve just looked at it. It didn't seem like anyone they knew.

"This is Mark," said Kono, and they looked at her. "Mark Sheppard."

"Wait," said Steve; his eyes fixed on Kono. "Did you just say Mark-"

"Sheppard. Yes. She is correct," said Trish and then her face was back on the screen. "The only fatality of that assignment."

"Alright, now that we know him.. What's behind all this?" Danny had passed his patience limit a while ago, but out of respect, he was trying to hold his frustration that came with all that talking and no answers.

"You don't know this part," Trish whispered, more like talking to herself than speaking to everyone at the room in Hawaii. "Okay. The thing is, a long time ago, Kate and Chris were very close friends.."

"And they had a fight, we know that," Danny said with a nod.

"Okay.. Did you know that Australia and Lieutenant Mark Sheppard were the main reasons they argued?"

"We knew it was about something that happened in Australia.. But the part where Lt. Sheppard is involved, we didn't know," said Steve frowning. "What happened?"

Trish froze for a while as she wondered what she should do. What was the best thing she could do. Lie or tell them the truth?

"Look, Trish, I know Kate is your friend and I can see you're trying to protect her," said Steve urgent. "We're trying to do the same over here, and I know you know it.. But to do so, we need to know what's behind all this. What happened?"

Trish closed her eyes while taking a few deep breaths. "If I get in trouble, I'll personally kick your ass, Commander. I don't care how handsome you are, if I lose my friend, I will haunt you and I'll kick the crap out of you, do you understand that?"

If the situation was different, Steve would have had smiled. "I think it's more likely for you to lose your friend if you don't tell us what happened."

"Look, I don't know much about it, I promise. I don't know everything. Kate's not exactly talkative when it comes to this subject.. She also doesn't know it, and I expect that it continues that way, but I tried to find out more, what happened there, but I couldn't find much on it. Her Interpol file is locked; not everyone have access to that. It was sort of confidential. So, all I know is that before Australia, Kate and Chris were as close as opposite sides of a magnet could be, and by that I mean they were very close. But after that, they went from friends to strangers in record time. No one can explain what happened, and when I asked her about it, she would just shut me off. But I know that Lt. Sheppard's death while on duty is somehow involved. Once I asked about him, she went dead quiet and so serious I thought she was having a stroke or something.." Trish made a long pause to breathe. She also didn't know if she was doing right telling them about what she thought, but she needed to let them know, so, maybe they could look after Kate. "I don't know what happened because I can't make her talk about it. But it is connected, and knowing that she saw these pictures.. it makes me fear for her life," she admitted weakly. "Kate is one hell of an Agent, but I'm afraid she might do something extreme and she will get hurt."

Steve, Danny and Kono heard Trish's outburst quietly and they paid extra attention to every word she said, after all, she knew Kate for a longer time than they did. And acknowledging the fact that Trish was scared, it made them all get alert.

"Alright," said Steve after a moment of silence. "Danny and I will pay Cahill a visit," he said looking at his partner who just nodded. They would try to get that information out of him. It could be valuable to the mission. "You two can keep working on those photos; Kono, call us if you find anything. And Trish.. Thanks. I really appreciate what you just did."

Trish just had time to smile and nod, and after that, Steve and Danny had already disappeared through the glass doors leaving Kono and Trish to work on the photos.

"Hey, Kono," Trish called and Kono raised her eyes from the smart desk. "I don't know exactly how you convinced the Rogue Kate to work with people again, but thank you.."

"Don't mention it," Kono replied with a smile.

.

They've been working on those photos for not longer than fifteen minutes when Trish mentioned what was already on Kono's mind.

"I didn't get a thing from these," she said poorly. Trish hated to admit that she didn't succeed at something.

"Yeah," Kono agreed. "I didn't find anything either.. Any idea?"

Trish wondered for a while, and something occurred to her. "You know what, I might have," she replied and, with a perky smile, she was trying to contact Kate's friend Reed from the NSA and her former Interpol boss, Agent Hillborne.

**xxx**

"I'll only ask this once," said Danny as he and Steve got to his Camaro. "**Are you sure?**"

"Honestly? Not really," Steve answered occupying the driver's seat as usual.

"Not really.. Okay. Good."

"Look, Danny-" Steve began to explain but Danny cut him.

"**I said okay**. We need answers. I get it. I just asked to know if I'm not the only one who thinks this is contemptible yet slightly necessary. I was just checking."

Steve, just like Danny, wasn't happy with the idea of going behind Kate's back and prying into her life. It's true that she shared some of her life with them, but they didn't know what caused Kate and Cahill's fight and eventually lead her to not trust him completely. They were working together now, and Cahill was also involved, so if there was anything between them, Steve felt like he needed to know for the sake of the whole thing and Danny was there to support him. So they held on to that thought and prayed they weren't crossing the line.

.

The ride to the Hilton was oddly quiet, very unlike them. Danny called Cahill sometime while they were going from the HQ to the hotel and, by the time they got there, Cahill was waiting for them.

"Gentlemen," he greeted calmly. The guy was so polite it was almost annoying. "May I help you with something?"

"Yeah," said Danny a little harsher than necessary. "You can help us telling what the hell happened last time you and Kate worked together."

Cahill suddenly became quite nervous, his eyes scanning the hotel lobby as if he was looking for something - or someone.

"We should talk about this somewhere else," he said; his voice wasn't louder than a whisper.

Steve thought about that for a moment. "Alright. I know a place," he said finally.

"Okay, you two go ahead," Cahill replied. "I'll follow."

Danny looked at Steve; it wasn't necessary to be an expert on human behavior to notice that the blonde detective wasn't happy with that.

"Fine," Steve agreed, willingly ignoring Danny's silently plea to not let him do that. "But if you try to fool us, or play with us, I will personally take you down, do you hear me?"

Cahill heard those words very clearly and he knew that Steve McGarrett wasn't joking. "I hear you. I'll get my car. If you wait.."

"We'll wait," said Danny simply.

Cahill turned his back to them, walking back inside the hotel while Steve and Danny went to the Camaro.

"So," said Danny once they were inside his vehicle. "Do you think he won't try anything?"

"I hope not," Steve replied; he already had his phone in his hand.

"Who are you gonna call?"

"Kono. I'll let her know where we're going to.."

Danny just nodded as Steve talked to the girl who was still on the HQ.

.

Less than ten minutes later, they were at a safe location that Steve knew.

"So, here we are," said Danny quite calm, until his next line. "Start. Talking."

Cahill took a deep breath, and leaning against a wall, the words came out of his mouth as he went back to that moment again.

. . .

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: **_This is not my best work, I know that. I take full responsibility and I'm so terribly sorry. I had sort of a hard time writing this story but I'll try to make it up to you all next chapter. I am so sorry.

_There's a review button somewhere below these lines and, if you feel like making me smile, I encourage you to tell me what you think about this story! I'm always happy to hear what you think about it! **Mahalo nui loa** to everyone who's still with me!_


	25. Chapter 25

**Aloha!**

**Thank you everyone who's reading this, has reviewed, favorited and/or alerted this story so far! Special thank you to Nicole, you know why, don't you? ;)**

**********So, new chapter and I hope you guys enjoy!**********

* * *

><p>"So, Trish.. Can I ask you a question?" asked Kono while Trish was sending the photos to both Reed and Hillborne.<p>

"Sure. What is that?"

"I'm wondering.. How exactly, someone with your.. credentials-"

Kono's voice failed so many times that Trish knew what was coming. "Don't know what happened to Kate in Australia?" Kono pressed her lips together when she heard the sentence being finished by Trish herself.

"I'm actually surprised no one asked me that before," Trish added simply and with a small smile. There were no hard feelings on her voice nor her body language - she seemed to be quite calm. "I tried to. Believe me, I did. I ran background check on Catherine Taylor, but her Interpol file was locked, and the only person who could unlock it was her boss, or the director.. and I never felt like asking that."

"Why?" asked Kono; it was mostly an automatic question. She had ran background on Kate once, the first time they met, and such thing never showed up, so when Kate said she went International, it was only logical that she had a locked file, if not something safer than that.

"To keep her safe.. maybe, to spare me from what I'd find out, I wouldn't know back then." Trish said leaning back on her chair when the photos were all sent. "I asked Kate once about it, and she said there were things in her past that she wasn't allowed to reveal.. that, some things are meant to stay in the past. So I stopped it. I stopped going through her past. It didn't feel right to keep doing that.. I learned some things while doing my research; for instance, I learned that Kate had been through a lot, and that didn't count what was on the things I couldn't access. Then we became close friends, and I knew couldn't add more to the huge pile of bad stuff she was already carrying. So I stopped. I never tried to pry into that."

Kono thought about that for a while. "I understand what you're saying," she said, and she really understood that, but she also knew that, right now, they needed to go a little deeper on Kate's past.. And Trish knew that too; so much that when Kono's phone rang, she sort of knew what to expect.

_"Kono, Danny and I will talk to Cahill. Stay on the line," _Steve ordered. _"And if anything goes off, you're our backup."_

**xxx**

Kate got to the Hawaii Medical Center less than ten minutes after she left the Five-0 HQ.

"Wow.. That was fast," Chin said when he saw the woman practically running out of the elevator to meet with him.

"Told you I'd be here as fast as I could," she said with a small smile. "Where is he?"

"That room," Chin pointed a door and, she just nodded. "Kate, wait." He stopped her before she could take three steps away from him. "He got out of surgery.. The doctor said we're not supposed to grill him."

"Don't worry.. I won't."

When Chin called Kate, he said there was something that Kate would like to know.. and it was about James White.

Officer Tyler Helms, the one who was shot but also shoot White, had to go through surgery and the first thing he said after waking up, was that he wanted to talk to Agent Taylor.

"I need to see her," he whispered to the nurse who was about to give him the medication.

Because she had no clue what he was talking about, she called an HPD officer who was securing his room, following Lieutenant Kelly's orders. The officer called Chin, Chin called Kate and now there they were.

Kate walked into his room where a nurse was trying to convince him to just take the medications.

"There she is," he said in a husky and quite weak voice. Kate noticed that and she could only wonder for how long he was avoiding the painkillers that the poor nurse was trying to give to him.

"Ma'am, the patient needs to-"

"Rest.. I know," Kate said as she approached the bed. "Just give us a minute and then I promise he'll take those."

The nurse wasn't exactly happy with that, but she agreed; with ages of experience, she knew that if she tried to argue it would be nothing but a waste of time and she wouldn't get anywhere. "Only a minute," she said seriously. "And then I'll come back."

"Yes, ma'am," Kate said with a smile, watching as the small woman walked out of the room.

"You should listen to what she says if you want to get out of here," she told Helms once they were alone.

"I know," he whispered leaning back on the bed. "She's trying to give me those it's been a while.." Helms tried to laugh but it sounded quite badly.

"You should rest. We can talk when you're better," Kate said a little concerned. She heard that he had lost a lot of blood and his heart stopped once while in surgery. That was never a good thing.

"No, ma'am," he said trying to reach her, but he used the arm that its shoulder had surgery and it caused him to flinch with pain. Kate's first instinct was to make sure he laid back and tried to relax.

"If you do that again, I'll have to call your beloved nurse earlier so I suggest you to stay put."

He chuckled but did as she was saying. Helms was feeling a lot weak and his head was now dizzy but he needed to speak with that woman.

"Ma'am.. There's.. uh- something I f-forgot to tell you." His voice failed several times and Kate noticed he would need to get the medication pretty soon, so she just gave him an encouraging squeeze on his hand and he continued. "Bravo.. Quebec.. Nine.. Sierra.. Seven.. Four." Before Helms explained what that was, Kate already knew what was it. "That's the plate of.. the car the guy used to escape.. the warehouse.."

Kate was thrilled on the inside. That could be a lead to track him down, and that's one thing that was on her priority list. Take that son of a bitch down.

"Thank you so much, Tyler," she said rubbing his hand gently. While she was holding his hand, she noticed his grip become tighter so she pushed the button that would bring the nurse back. "You did a lot, and I'm very grateful for your commitment." Kate was talking to him when the nurse came in, back with everything he would have to take. "Now you need to rest, okay."

"Okay," he replied. The nurse finally was able to give him the sedative that was going to make him rest so he could recover faster and he was already feeling it hit him. "I'm glad I could help, ma'am.."

"Call me Kate," she said giving him a warm smile. "We'll get who did this to you," she added, but he was already half-unconscious. "We'll get the son of a bitch.." she promised before leaving Officer Helms, who was already sleeping.

.

Kate left the room not too long after she got into it. Chin was right outside talking to the Officers who were responsible to keep him safe when he saw her.

"Kate.. Is Helms alright?" Chin saw it when the nurse rushed into the room where the Officer was with a trail with a few medications.

"Yeah, he's fine," she said calmly. "Officer Helms is okay. He's just a little weak but I presume it's because of the surgery and he has been avoiding the medications for a while.. But other than that he's alright, nothing to worry about I suppose."

She wasn't a doctor but she didn't think his life was still on the line.

"Good.. So, what was it that he wanted to see you so badly?

"He gave me a plate. Bravo, Quebec, Nine, Sierra, Seven, Four," she repeated the exact same words that Helms had just told her, indicating all characters of a license plate. "He said it was from the car that White used to evade the place."

Chin's eyes widened. "Oh. That's good. Kono can track it down, maybe we'll find White."

Kate allowed a smile; after seeing Mark's photos and then Helms on a hospital bed, that was something that she was a little happy about - she was one step closer to get White. She knew it still wasn't the end, but she wanted so badly to get the responsible for putting Helms on that bed and make him get a bed like that as well. Actually, what Kate really wanted was to put him in a coffin and let him rotten six feet underground.. but she was a cop and that's not how she was taught how to handle that kind of situation.

"Yeah, maybe," she agreed while Chin was already calling his cousin.

**xxx**

As Cahill explained what they went through in Australia, Danny's expression eased, going from a deadly look to something in the middle of concern and compassion. And when he looked at his partner, the SuperSEAL side of Steve was nowhere to be found. Like Danny, Steve had this game face on; he was now starting to put the missing pieces on the puzzle and they thought, if they didn't fully understand, then they were more than halfway to reach that - if he was speaking the truth.

"That's it. That's everything that happened in Australia," Cahill finished. Looking up to face Steve and Danny, he couldn't tell what they were thinking about all that.

Danny and Steve stayed quiet for over a minute after hearing what Cahill had to say. They exchanged some looks, trying to decide whether to believe him or not.

According to Cahill, he went to Australia only the day when the Vice President was set to arrive, but Kate was there for a little longer - he couldn't tell how longer; he didn't have that information.

On his day two in Australia, the politician had a quite tight schedule, but he managed to attend every single meeting and reunion, everything that was planned.

The plan that was set to keep the man safe while his bold yet petulant enterprise on that continent was working just fine, except.. when they were on their way to the airport, the Australians struck. And that's when things between Kate and Cahill started to fall apart.

After they got into a trap, miraculously they were able to get the most part of the team out of there and safe - even the Vice President. But Kate, Cahill and the man who died, Mark Sheppard, stayed behind to allow their evacuation to happen with success.

"I made a call that day," Cahill explained. "It wasn't easy and I didn't like doing it, but it was necessary.. Otherwise, I would not be here.. Kate would not be here."

Steve felt a shiver down his spine when he heard those words.

Cahill was sort of the man in charge there and he was the one to tell Kate to get into the helicopter. Except, she wouldn't agree with that because the third man, Mark Sheppard still wasn't there - and he would not be. He was shot when the Australians opened fire against them and he was the one who told Cahill to take Kate and get the hell out of there while it was possible. And so he did - and that's when Kate turned against him and they never spoke again.

"You left a man behind," Steve said after a moment. He still wasn't convinced that what he said was true, but, if it was, it totally made sense.

"I had no choice," Cahill said; his voice raised a note. "Mark knew he would die. He was shot, on his leg and lower abdomen. It hit an artery and he would bleed out before help would get there."

"And still," Steve said taking a step further. "You left him behind."

"Mark told me to leave!" Cahill replied to that; his voice went a bit louder than the last time as he holds the glare that Steve is addressing him. Cahill didn't blame Steve for his words, but he didn't like being accused like that. "Look," he said taking a deep breath and trying to be calm. "I would have gladly taken Mark's place if I could and I would have tried saving him if there was just a little chance.. But there wasn't. And I couldn't let Kate get hurt."

The way Cahill said those last words made Danny feel like it was highly likely that he was telling the truth, but it caused Steve to frown inwardly. Cahill liked her; he did what had to do, not only to prevent that other lives were taken, but mainly to protect her.

"Okay, we get it. We get it." Danny had to pull Steve; he was dangerously close to Cahill and, judging by the look in his eyes, that proximity was not good. "Come on," he told Steve once he had taken a couple of steps behind.

"Believe me when I say, I didn't like doing that, but I didn't have a lot of choices," Cahill said, now talking to Danny. "It was either that or more innocent lives to lost, and I'm not even talking about my life."

"Alright, I believe you. And that explains a lot," said Danny. And it did. It didn't seem like Cahill was making up that story. Not to mention that, knowing what happened, they had a fairly good idea why Kate wasn't the type of girl who didn't like working with a team.

"Just so you know," Steve spoke again. "Here, with Five-0, things are different."

"I already told you, I wouldn't have done that if I-"

"Had another choice. I get it." Steve finished Cahill's sentence, and, even though he didn't sound mad or angry, his attitude didn't inspire any good feelings. He was being civilized but it was clear that something was bothering him. "I've been there and I know how hard it is to make that call. But if we're gonna do this together, then you have to understand that we don't work this way. And I won't accept anything, anything like that. Are we clear?"

"Very clear, Commander," Cahill responded almost immediately. He could understand perfectly why Steve McGarrett was doing that; leaving Sheppard behind wasn't something he was proud of, but four deaths would be even worse so, Cahill would have to deal with the consequences of his actions and live with for the rest of his days.

"I'm really glad we cleared this thing up," said Danny. It was quite evident the slightly hint of sarcasm in his voice, but he was mostly really glad. "Look, don't get us wrong, but we had to know."

"I understand," said Cahill calmly. He knew that Kate didn't trust him completely, and he figured that, maybe, the Five-0s would notice it too, and it was only a matter of time for that to happen.

"Okay. Great. Now I suppose we can all go back to what we were doing, you know, unless you have something for us.." Danny suggested rather cheerfully.

"Well, like I already told you, there will be a gathering - a party or whatever - and I'm trying to get you guys in, like requested, so.."

"Alright," Steve spoke again. "Let's get going. But call us when you find something," he added to Cahill.

Christopher studied Steve for a short while and noticed that the leader of the task force was still a little concerned. "I will," Cahill assured him. "And I'd like to add that I understand why you did this, and I certainly hope that, this time, things happen differently," he said offering Steve his hand for a handshake.

"Hope is not enough," Steve said as he watched his gesture for a moment, but reached out to shook Cahill's hand. "Let's work to avoid that," he said shortly before the three of them headed back to their cars.

.

"Kono, you still there?" Steve was already on his phone when he left the safe facility and got to Danny's Camaro.

"Yep. We're still here," Kono replied. Steve told Kono to stay on the line while he had that conversation with Christopher Cahill, and she did that - she and Trish.

"Okay.. did you hear it?"

"Every word," Kono's words weren't exactly full of joy, instead, she felt a somewhat guilty..

"Okay." Steve went quiet for a while. He had just did something that, even though he had told himself over and over that was necessary, he couldn't help but feel just like Trish when she was doing her research on Kate - like it wasn't right. For the first time, he wasn't sure what to do next. "So, any news on the photos?"

"Not really. Trish sent them to Kate's contacts on the NSA and Interpol but we're still waiting for their answer."

Steve rubbed his face; he and Danny were already on the streets and on their way back to the HQ. "What about Kate? Hear anything from Kate?"

"No, nothing. But I've been on my phone this entire time so.."

Steve quickly turned to Danny and told him to call Kate. Maybe she could have something so they could work with, because, so far, they had nothing.

**xxx**

Chin tried to call Kono two times and Kate tried other three; all five attempts to contact her failed.

"Looks like she's quite busy. She's been on the phone for the past five minutes," said Chin when Kate hang up without an answer.

"Looks like," she agreed a little frustrated.

"Well, then I guess I'll do it myself. C'mon."

Kate didn't wait for a second call and she was already following Chin out.

"Are we going to the precinct?" Kate asked when they reached his blue SUV.

"Not necessary," he said as he opened his car and took a bag that was right beneath the passenger seat. "I always carry my laptop with me." Kate watched as he took the device out of its bag. "Just in case," he added looking at her..

"I am so happy that I could kiss you right now," Kate said with a huge smile on her face. Chin just smiled back and was already accessing the database.

"Alright, let's check that plate.."

Kate and Chin just stood there, staring at the screen while the program was trying to find a result to the characters that Chin had put on the search.

After what Kate thought it was an eternity, there was one result found. The license plate "BQ9 S74" belonged to a rented car, and Kate took a deep breath. That was very great news; whoever rented that particular vehicle, needed a driver's license or any documents, and it was registered somewhere. But of course, there was always the possibility that they had used a fake ID, in which case, they could go to the plan B, and that was track the GPS.

"I won't even bother asking what your plan is because it's pretty obvious," said Chin when he saw the look on Kate's face.

She smirked and was already on her way to her car. "You go ahead and I'll follow," she yelled when she got to her Aston Martin that she had parked about two cars away from Chin's SUV, and in less than a minute, they both were on their way to the place where the car was rented.

.

"Nice car," Chin said when they parked in front of the building with the name 'THORD Rent-A-Car' and were on their way inside. "Not rented as far as I can tell.."

"No. Not rented," she replied with a small smile on her face. "But, speaking of which.."

They had just walked into the place and a man came to talk to them. He was definitely not Hawaiian, and, judging by his accent, Kate would guess Texas. He was blonde, brown eyes and had this mustache.. He was not particularly tall, but with a personality that compensated that.

"Good morning," he said with so much enthusiasm that Kate arched an eyebrow and looked at Chin. "How can I help you two?" Kate was about to say something when the guy continued. "Maybe a nice convertible for you and your beautiful lady?"

Kate closed her mouth that was still slightly open while Chin's eyes widened for a split second.

"No, sir. We're not a couple and we're not here to rent a car," Chin said firmly as he took his badge and flashed the man. "I'm Lieutenant Kelly, HPD, and this is Agent Taylor, FBI." Kate mimicked Chin and flashed the perky guy her ID badge. "We're here after some information."

"Oh," the man exclaimed surprised. "I see.. And what kind of information, if you don't mind my asking?"

"We'd like to speak with the owner of the place," Chin said putting his ID back on his belt.

"Well, I'm the owner. Jonathan Thord."

"Great. We would like to know everything about the person who rented a maroon Impala, year 2010, license plate BQ9 S74," Kate said calmly.

"Sure, follow me," Thord said as he walked to a small room that seemed to be his very own office. "Can I just ask why this particular vehicle?"

"We're investigating a case and it showed up," Chin replied simply. There was no reason to tell Thord all the details. "Now, please.."

"Oh. Okay," he said and started to check his system. "Well, it says here that the Impala was rented by Howard Gill."

As it was expected, that was a fake ID and didn't show any results when Chin and Kate ran it through all possible database.

"We need access to the GPS," Chin said and Thord agreed to that immediately. Soon enough, they were leaving the car rental with the location of the maroon Impala.

.

"I can be wrong, but I think we won't need backup this time," Kate said when they got to the exact place the GPS indicated the car was supposed to be. And they were now at the Marina, staring at the huge ocean.

"I hardly think so," Chin agreed. "But I think we'll need divers."

The possibility of White had got rid of the car after he escaped the warehouse occurred to both Kate and Chin; what they never thought was that he would throw the car into the ocean. Kate thought about what Chin had said for a while and didn't allow Chin to make that phone call.

"Wait. How long until they get here?" she asked without look at him.

"Ten minutes. Maybe fifteen, I can't tell for sure.. why? Where are you going?"

Chin had just answered her question when she turned on her heels and walked back to where she had her car parked.

"Do you happen to have one of those small portable air apparatus?" Kate asked already getting rid of her jacket, and Chin suddenly felt like he was having a déjà-vu.

"Why?"

"Because I'll go there while you call someone to take that out of the ocean. It might be a waste of time to call for divers when I can locate it."

Chin considered that possibility and decided she was possibly right.

"Okay.. sounds rational." He opened the trunk of his car and took a small air tank - one of those that goes only on the mouth so it didn't have that much of apparatus to work - along with a pair of swimming goggles and tossed them to Kate.

"That's nice," she said with a smile while she finished discharging her clothes inside her car. Kate was now wearing only a white tank top that was under her also white dress shirt and what Chin thought it would be a pair of boxers, but didn't ask. "So, here's my phone," she said handing him her BlackBerry. "If anyone call, answer it, okay?"

Chin nodded and walked with Kate back to the end of that platform where she took her swan dive. The salt water made her bite her lower lip to avoid a cry when it touched her abdomen but she chose to ignore the pain. "Call whoever you're going to call," she yelled before disappearing underneath the water.

.

Chin had just ended the phone call requesting assistance to remove a vehicle from the ocean when Kate's phone rang. He took a moment to check the caller ID and noticed it was someone he knew fairly well.

"Hey Danny."

"_Chin, hey.. where's Kate?"_

"Well, she's sort of busy at the moment," Chin replied. "Can I help you with anything?"

"_We wanted to check if you guys find anything.. but what's she doing?"_

"First, we did find something. Officer Helms, who was shot outside the warehouse, said he wanted to talk to Kate; he had seen the license plate of the car that White used to escape," Chin explained. "We tracked it and turns out he rented a car, but under a fake ID, so that was a dead end. Then we got the coordinates of the GPS and that's were we are right now and that's also why she can't speak. Kate is-"

"_Do you have backup?"_ Danny asked not allowing him to finish what he was about to say.

"No, Danny, that's not neces-"

"_Where are you?"_ Chin heard Steve's voice for the first time; he should have known he was on the speaker.

"We're at the Ala Wai Marina," Chin informed. He knew that, no matter what he said now, Danny and Steve were on their way.

"_We're close,"_ Steve told Danny and then he spoke a little louder so Chin could hear him. _"Chin, we'll be there in five,"_ he said and then, they were gone.

"Oh boy.." Chin muttered as he put Kate's phone back in his pocket. There wasn't much he could do since Kate hadn't show up yet, so he just stood there, waiting.

.

Just a little over five minutes later, Chin heard heavy footsteps on the wooden platform and when he turned to check who was it, he already knew what to expect.

"So? Where is she?" asked Danny only a few steps behind Steve.

Chin didn't answer his question; instead, he only shifted his glance to the water.

"Seriously?" Steve asked; he had his hands on his hips, just like Danny.

"Yeah," Chin said, trying to avoid a smile. "According to the GPS, this is where he _parked_ his car." There was a hint of amusement in his voice. "I already called HPD and they're sending someone to take the car out of the water.. I suggested that we should request divers but she said she could handle it, so, right now, Kate's looking for the missing vehicle."

Danny had this blank expression on his face. "I'll go see if there's a towel in my car," he said while turning his back to Steve and Chin. But he stopped after two steps. "You know.. I feel like I already lived this, and it's quite odd."

Chin and Steve just watched as Danny became smaller and smaller while he was on his way back to his Camaro.

"Do you think we'll be able to get something from the car?" Steve asked when he turned to look at the ocean.

"I don't know.. Things like DNA and fingerprints are off the hook since it's been underwater for quite a while now. Maybe we could try the GPS but it's only a thought," he admitted poorly. There was so little that they could get from the car, but little, right now, was a lot, so they would stick with it until it was proved that it was useless.

"How long is she there?"

Chin checked his watch before answering that. "Approximately 15 minutes now," he said, and for the first time, he noticed it was quite a long time.

"What? Nothing on the Little Mermaid?" They turned their heads to see Danny holding a towel; right behind him, there were a CSU Team. "The guys are already here and there's the ship that'll take the car out of the water."

Steve and Chin noticed a quite large ship that was equipped for that task.

"C'mon Kate.." Steve whispered. "C'mon.."

Almost like an answer to everyone's silent prayers, Kate returned to the surface, a little far from where they were standing.

"Over there," Chin pointed and just like that, Chin, Steve and Danny felt a lot lighter.

"HEY!" Kate yelled so they could hear her. "I FOUND IT! AND I FOUND SOMETHING ELSE!" She raised an arm and showed them a gun.

"THAT'S GREAT!" Chin yelled in response. "NOW GET BACK HERE! THEY'LL TAKE THE CAR OUT NOW!"

Kate turned her head and saw a huge ship that was coming towards her. There were a few men on it; they had already seen her and gave her the thumbs up, signaling her she should probably do what Chin was saying. With a smile that they probably didn't see, Kate swam back to where Chin was, and, like she noticed as she got closer, Danny, Steve and a whole bunch of new people were there.

Bracing herself for the sermon that she could feel getting closer and closer, she raised her hand so Chin could help her to get out of the water.

Before she could thank him for the help, Kate felt someone putting a towel around her shoulders. "There you go, Nemo," said Danny, appearing by her side.

"Thanks, Dan, Chin," Kate said, wrapping her body with the towel that Danny had just gave her. She noticed Steve stood closer to her, sort of blocking everyone's view of her quite unusual wardrobe and she whispered a _'thank you'_ to him as well.

"So, you found the gun in the car," said Danny as he looked at the weapon that Chin was holding, "but what about that rifle?" Kate was also carrying a sniper rifle by its straps when Chin pulled her.

"Oh, it was in the car as well, but in the trunk," she explained. "I don't know why White didn't take it with him.."

"Maybe it belonged to Ackleman," Chin suggested, and Kate thought about that for a while. That would make some sense.

"Well, maybe.. in any case, I think we should run ballistics on both."

"I'll do it," Chin said taking the two firearms she took out of the car. "And I'll have the car checked as well," he anticipated the next comment that she was about to make. "I did this before, Kate.. You should, you know, go back home, get some dry clothes."

Chin returned Kate's phone and while she was doing so, she realized it was probably a good idea. Not exactly because of the dry clothes, but because she definitely needed a shower to get rid of the salt on her skin that was starting to annoy her.

"Yeah," she said after a moment. "Okay.. But call me when you find something, alright?"

"Will do, don't worry."

With a smile and starting to shiver, Kate started to walk back to where she had left the car.

Steve had stayed behind, with Danny and Chin to wait for the car to be out of the water then the CSU to process whatever was left to process.

"You should go too," said Chin when he noticed Steve glancing at Kate's figure, which was getting smaller and smaller with every step she took. "I can call you when we find something."

"No, it's okay," he said waving that offer.

"Steve. Go." Chin glanced at him, along with Danny and, with a nod, both men silently ordered him to get going.

"Alright," he gave in. "Call me." Steve just had time to gave Danny and Chin a half smile as he tossed Danny's keys back to the blonde and turned on his heels and ran to meet with Kate before she got to her car.

.

"Kate, wait!"

She was only a few steps away from her car when she heard Steve calling for her.

"What? Something's wrong?" Kate asked a little startled, looking back at where Danny, Chin and the CSU team were.

"No. No, everything's fine," he said slowing down, turning his short run to an almost normal walk.

"Then.. what's up?" Kate asked, just following the movements of his chest as he breathed.

"Nothing," he said taking the keys out of her hands. "I'm driving you home."

Kate didn't argue with that; instead, she just lowered her head to hide the quite huge smile that would appear anytime now; then she whispered an _'alright'_ and walked to the other side, sitting on the passenger seat.

.

"You should get rid of that salt," Steve said after parking her car on his driveway and opening the door so they could get inside.

"Yeah. That sounds like a great idea," she said running up the stairs while Steve went checking his answering machine for any possible messages, but there weren't any.

Steve couldn't stop thinking about his conversation with Cahill. He would have to talk to Kate about that sooner or later, but he wasn't particularly excited for that moment. Steve was immerse in his thoughts when Kate brought him back from it.

"HEY! DO YOU KNOW IF KONO AND TRISH FOUND SOMETHING ON THE PHOTOS?" She was yelling from his bathroom, judging by the sound that his shower was making.

"NOT YET," Steve yelled back from the couch. "BUT KONO WILL CALL WHEN THEY GET SOMETHING!"

"Oh good, that's good."

Steve noticed when the shower stopped running and Kate's voice came out a bit louder from his bedroom.

"Yeah," he replied, more to himself than anything else. "Yeah, it's great.."

About five minutes later, Kate came downstairs; her hair still wet and she was again wearing her white dress shirt and black trousers, the standard wardrobe of a FBI agent. "Did you say something? I didn't hear it."

Kate was standing on the last step of the stair and Steve just stared at her for a while.

"No.. It was nothing."

She looked at Steve for a while, not quite sure he was telling everything; and she didn't like that feeling.

Steve noticed when Kate went from relaxed to alert.

"Steven, I don't know if you remember, but I'm an Agent - a cop. I know how to read people." Kate finally stepped out of the stair and walked to where he was sitting. "I learned how to do it fairly well; I can do in a second and I'm rarely wrong." She sat on the coffee table, directly in front of Steve and looked deep in his eyes. Kate wasn't mad or anything, she just wanted to know if Steve knew something and wasn't sharing. "I also wish I didn't need to do this with you but.. what are you not telling me, Steve?"

Steve looked back at her and, taking a deep breath, he knew the moment he wasn't exactly looking for, the "sooner or later" had just arrived..

**xxx**

Kono was going through some old files she had in her desk; there were a few and, since Trish didn't return with any news, she thought it would be nice to keep busy - until the video call request came and she dropped everything in a heartbeat.

"So, anything?" asked Kono, and then, immediately after she voiced those words, she noticed how unnecessary it was.

"Actually.. yes," Trish answered quite shaken.

. . .

* * *

><p><em>There's a review button somewhere below these lines and, if you feel like making me smile, I encourage you to tell me what you think about this story! I'm always happy to hear what you think about it! <em><strong>Mahalo nui loa<strong> to everyone who's still with me!__


	26. Chapter 26

**Aloha everyone!**

**Thank you everyone who's reading this, has reviewed, favorited and/or alerted this story so far! I appreciate every single one of you guys so very much!  
><strong>

**********It took me a while to get this done, it was tough, I had quite a hard time but oh well.. In any case, I hope you enjoy it :)**********

* * *

><p><em>"So, anything?" asked Kono, and then, immediately after she voiced those words, she noticed how unnecessary it was. <em>

_"Actually.. yes," Trish answered quite shaken._

.

"So? Good or bad?"

Kono was quite nervous about whatever it was that Trish had found out.

"That actually depends," replied the redhead and, for Kono's desperation, she paused for a while.

"What is it?" Kono asked, her nervousness was increasing while Trish was thinking about how to break the news. When no brilliant insights occurred, she thought it would be better if she heard it from the same person who had just told her.

"Wait, let me just.." and right before Trish said those words, there was the request for a second call to join that video conference and Kono just hit accept. Now, right beside Trish's face, there was a new face, and it was a man.

He should be in late fifties, maybe early sixties, but, if someone asked Kono, she'd say the man could handle almost anything, with his super serious expression and strict posture.

"Agent Hillborne, this is Officer Kono Kalakaua, Five-0 task force. Kono, this is Agent Thomas Hillborne, Interpol," Trish said introducing them; Kono just nodded after that. "Sir., could you please tell her what you just told me?"

"Officer Kalakaua, right?" Hillborne spoke and Kono wondered how many people would flinch just with his voice. It inspired so much respect.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, it is nice meeting someone who's working with Agent Taylor," he said and Kono thought she'd seen the ghost of a smile, but it disappeared in a blink. "So, I received some interesting photos from Patricia, and I understand it's related to your current investigation."

"Yes. We're on a case where the Australians are involved."

"So I've been told," Hillborne said with a short not. "These photos, Officer Kalakaua, they're related to the last assignment of Catherine Taylor. And they came to my knowledge not too long ago."

"But they are from seven years ago.."

"Yes. But they were unknown even for us," Hillborne told Kono and the Five-0 girl didn't know what to think.

"Okay.. So, what?" That was the only thing that Kono could think about asking. There were many questions in her hear, such as what was it with those photos? How did they get it, and after quite a long time? Why they came up just now? But a simple _'what'_ sounded a lot better than all that.

"Miss Kalakaua, we received those pictures from an anonymous person," Hillborne said, then, he sat back on his chair. "But he didn't do enough to hide his tracks so we were able to find out who was it."

"It was O'Hanlin," Kono blurted, more like talking to herself.

"Exactly," he said raising an eyebrow and tilting his head a little. "I'm impressed.."

"Well, thank you, but I'm not," Kono said emotionless. "I mean.. We're trying to get some answers here but that just added a couple more question."

"Such as, how did he get those photos? Maybe why he had it?" Hillborne asked and Kono just nodded, confirming that that's what she had been wondering. "We asked ourselves that, Miss Kalakaua."

"Who's _we_?"

"_We_ is everyone involved on this operation."

"Wait.. Your Agent, Christopher Cahill knows about it?"

"Well, yes, he knows about it." Hillborne's voice was always steady. "He was the one who linked O'Hanlin to the pictures in the first place."

"And he knew it since when?"

"About two weeks ago, approximately."

Kono shivered when she heard that. Why he didn't say anything? Why would he keep something like that from them?

"Is there anything else we need to know?" Even Kono was surprised with how cold her words sounded. She knew she couldn't blame Hillborne for that, but she was starting to wonder if there was something odd with Agent Cahill like Steve suspected.

"If you're asking me if I know something else then the answer is no," Hillborne said calmly, like Kono's quite harsh question didn't affect him at all. "Look, Officer Kalakaua, I can't speak for my Agent and tell you why he didn't mention that, but I can tell you that we're not trying to delay your investigation. Catherine was one of my agents once, one of the finest I've ever had and I am willing to help."

Kono sighed heavily. "Alright. Thanks."

"You're welcome. And, Officer, anything you need, feel free to contact me."

"I'll keep that in mind, sir," said Kono right before Hillborne end his video call. She remained silent for a while, until Trish broke it.

"Do you think Cahill is somehow involved with this?" the redhead asked shyly. She wasn't sure how to handle that - it seemed to be a very delicate situation.

"With all honesty? I don't know," Kono admitted weakly. "I really don't know what I think, or if I'm thinking.."

Even though she was still processing that incredibly large amount of new information, Kono reached for her phone - she needed to let Steve know.

**xxx**

Even though there was this lump in his throat, Steve held Kate's glance for a long while. He wasn't the kind of man to back down in any situation. And he was still looking deep in those grey eyes when he finally said it:

"You're right. There is something."

Kate tried to wait for his next words, but when they didn't come immediately, she felt the urge to ask "and..?"

"And you might not like it," Steve admitted and watched as Kate bit her lower lip.

"Is it pertinent to the case?" she asked frowning a little.

"I'd say so," Steve said calmly. That made Kate take a deep breath and put any doubts, fears, everything aside.

"Well, then I believe this is one of those times where feelings are irrelevant, so, let's not focus on if I'll like it or not, okay?" Kate was as serious as she could get, without adding any unnecessary tension. "What is it?"

"Danny and I had a little chat with Cahill.."

Hearing Steve say that made Kate felt like she had just taken half gallon of energy juice. Steve didn't finish what he was saying when Kate blurted: "What did he say?"

"... about the last time you two worked together."

The rush of adrenaline or whatever it was that was running through her veins just seconds ago was gone; Kate felt like her brain stopped working for a while and stomach had just vanished, leaving this hole in her body.

Kate thought that Steve was right and she was so damn wrong; she didn't like that, and she couldn't help it.

"And?" she asked; her voice didn't match her plain expression and Steve could tell, just by hearing her, that she was getting upset.

"Kate.. We know what happened."

Kate felt a sudden wish to run as far as hell away; she just wanted to scream. There were only a few things that she didn't like discussing about, and that was one of them. Why would he do that? Why would Steve and Danny just go after Chris to dig into something she just wanted to leave where it belonged - in the past.

"Kate, I'm so-"

"No," she interrupted Steve when he was trying to apologize, and, even though her voice was calm, he didn't like that. "Steve, we both know you're not sorry, so don't."

"Okay. I am not sorry I asked Cahill about a case that **both of you** worked on," Steve replied a little harshly than he was expecting. "I had to know. I saw how those photos affected you, Kate. I was there when Kono showed them!"

"Well, I lived that, Steve! You saw a photo; I have practically a damn movie in my head!" She stood up so incredibly fast and started pacing. "I lived through that hell seven years ago and just now I get to know that they had us on close detail? God, how do you expected me to react to that?"

Steve knew it could be a hard conversation, so he just waited for Kate to calm down a little.

"Kate.."

"Why you didn't just ask me right away about that? Why did you have to go to Christopher?" The hurtful tone in her words caught Steve with his guard down - he was ready for yellings, but not that.

"Would you have answered it if I asked you?" Steve questioned. He had stood up as well and was standing in the middle of his room.

"I don't know.. Maybe."

"Maybe isn't exactly an affirmation."

"Well, now we'll never know because you didn't give me the chance, right?"

Steve and Kate were staring at each other; him, in front of the couch, her, standing by the stair - there was this huge space between them.

Kate ran a hand down her face in concealed disappointment. "You shouldn't have done that," she said through her teeth as she sat on the last step weakly with her head down; her voice wasn't louder than a whisper but Steve heard it, and it made him feel his heart tightening in his chest.

"Kate, I-"

Kate just raised a hand, causing Steve to stop, walking and talking. He wanted to get to her and just talk to her until she could understand his side, but instead, he waited, watching Kate, sat there; she seemed so incredibly small, vulnerable.. almost like a child. A child that just learned that Santa isn't real..

The two of them didn't say a word for a few seconds that stretched into minutes that felt as long as hours, maybe even days until Kate killed the unpleasant silence.

"What did you get?"

It took Steve a while to understand it was Kate who was really speaking and not his conscience crushing him along with that loud silence.

"Sorry, what?"

"I asked," Kate said raising her head finally. "What did you get. From the talk with Christopher. I want to know what he said."

Steve moved on the couch where he was again sitting. "Why? I mean.. Why?"

"Because. Tell me."

For the next five minutes, Steve told her everything about his _friendly_ conversation with Cahill. And by the time he finished and Kate didn't say a word, Steve thought she was about to pass out or something worse.

"Kate," he said walking to where she was sitting. Kate's expression matched a white board, completely blank and empty. "I'm sorry," he said kneeling in front of her, taking her hands in his and for the first time, she raised her eyes to meet his again. "I'm sorry."

Kate was still struggling with all those memories; it was a little hard to breathe, her head was spinning and she couldn't even think of something coherent to say. It was like she was half swimming, half drowning in that ocean, but eventually, she reached the surface again and was able to breathe and sort of have a little break.

"No. No.." Kate shook her head a couple of times and her eyes met the floor once again. "You don't get to be sorry, Steve." She said, then raised her head to look in his eyes again. Kate could see something - could it be.. regret? "Not you.."

"What are you saying?" Steve asked unsure; it was kinda hard to read her.

"When I said _'you shouldn't have done that'_, I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to me," she admitted. She had noticed that she was acting like a child. "You don't need to be sorry because you're probably right," Kate admitted shyly. "Maybe I wouldn't have said anything.." Steve wanted to say something - anything - but Kate shushed him with a wave of her hand. "There are a few things I don't like talking about.. and, that's one of them."

Steve noticed the truth in her eyes and it hit him hard but softly. He knew why she didn't like talking about that, it was a bad memory, and he could think of two reasons. Reason number one: someone lost its life, and it's never something that you get used to or get over; you learn how to live with that and let the time grant you acceptance. And even though there wasn't much that Steve could do to make that less painful for Kate, he could try to ease the reason number two.

Sitting by her side, he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"You're not alone," he whispered in her ear. "I will not leave you behind."

Kate pushed Steve away just a couple of inches so she could look at him. Those weren't empty words; she could see the promise engraved on those beautiful hazely-blue eyes and the view took her breath away, like it always did. It should be unhealthy to keep forgetting to breathe, or feeling her heart skipping beats, but she just wondered when and how she got so lucky.

Steve must have noticed something in her eyes because he wrapped both arms around her, kissed her forehead gently then tipped her head up so he could kiss her sweet lips.

Kate thought, no matter how many times they kissed, whenever she felt his breathing caressing her skin followed by the magnetizing feeling of Steve's lips on hers, it would always feel like they were kissing for the first time - there were the butterflies in her stomach, the light-headed sensation, her thoughts would go numb and she would feel like a little girl.

"Steve," she whispered when they parted the kiss and stood there, their foreheads resting together. "You know you don't have to.."

Kate wanted to tell him he didn't need to do anything, promise anything.. he just didn't have to do that. Not that she didn't like it - it touched her deeply to hear those words and that's why her voice failed before she could say everything she wanted to. That Steve didn't have to make amends for something he didn't do. But he knew what she was trying to say, even when she didn't complete her sentence. She was definitely tough and had been alone for quite a long time so she was sort of used to not having anyone, and the only reason he knew that, was because he had been there in the past. He knew what it felt like.

"I know," Steve replied using the same low voice and soft tone. "I know.." He knew it wasn't his obligation to do that, but he wanted to.

Kate found herself doing something she didn't do in a very, very long time - trusting someone else other than herself; she found herself completely trusting Steve.

"We should.. uh- go back.." That wasn't exactly what Kate had in mind but they were on duty, so she just shook that thought aside and focused on something else. Like the phone that was on the coffee table, with its light on.

"You should get that," she told Steve exactly when it rang. "Might be work."

Steve just glanced at her before leaving her alone on the stairs so he could get his phone. It was Kono.

"Kono, talk to me."

Hearing Kono's name made Kate stand up and fix her eyes on Steve's back.

He didn't say anything for what Kate thought it was a very, very long time. She was about to walk over there and take the phone from his hands when he turned to face her; there was nothing comforting in his eyes.

"Are you sure about it, Kono?" Steve spoke for the first time and his voice, the question sounded so grim that made Kate shiver head to toe.

"What?_ What is it?_" she asked urgent but he didn't answer.

"We're on our way," he said and ended the phone call.

"What happened?" Still no word from Steve. He just looked at her, her expression didn't ease one bit and it was getting on her nerves. "For God's sake, Steve, talk to me!"

"It's about the pictures," he said. Kate's knees buckled and she leaned against the wall.

"What about it?"

Steve took a deep breath and walked to where she was standing. Looking deep in her eyes, he spoke the words that made Kate's world turn upside down.

"Christopher Cahill knew about them." It was like she had being hit by a truck. Again. Once again she was dealing with that crap and, once again, Chris was there.

**xxx**

"You know, if we die we won't get any answers.."

They were on their way to the HQ, and Steve wasn't driving. Instead, he was on the passenger seat, while Kate was practically flying through the streets of Oahu.

"If we don't get any answers, someone will die," Kate hissed as she ran another red light. "But it won't be any of us."

Steve had lost count of how many traffic laws she had broken ever since they left his house, but he didn't say anything when they got to the HQ less than five minutes later.

.

"Start talking," Kate demanded as soon as she walked through the glass door. Kono turned as soon as she heard heavy footsteps so she and Trish had her eyes on the fierceful woman. There wasn't one single cell in Kate's body that didn't show how pissed off she was. "Both of you."

Kono looked right behind Kate and found Steve standing there, waiting not so patiently. She only told Steve that she knew from Thomas Hillborne who used to be Kate's boss that Cahill knew about the photos, so he didn't know much about it and, like Kate, he was waiting to hear the full thing.

"Okay. Trish and I tried to find something on the pictures, just like you asked," Kono began her explanation. "But it was a dead end. We didn't find anything.. at least not until Trish had an idea."

"Yes," Trish agreed with a nod and continued from where she left. "I send those photos to Reed and Hillborne, and I got a response from the last one."

Kate thought about that for a while. If Hillborne was the one with information about the photos, then maybe she was overreacting. _Maybe._

"What did he say?" she asked emotionless.

"Well, that's where things get, how can I say it - _odd_," Trish said uneasy. "Hillborne said that someone send the photos anonymously, but didn't cover its tracks that well, so, they were able to get to the person who send it.."

"Marshall O'Hanlin," announced Kono. "But guess who was the one to link the photos to our victim?" Kate and Steve were quiet, just hearing what both women had to say, and judging by the expression they had, they weren't up for any guessing, so Kono just took a breath and braced herself for their reaction to the answer. "It was Cahill."

Kate's eyes widened and her body stiffened. The whole room was suddenly filled with tension that was coming from everyone, but especially Kate.

Steve was looking at her, waiting for an explosive reaction or something like it, but it never happened. Instead, when she spoke after a minute, her voice was cold as ice and it made everyone shiver.

"How long he knows about the photos?" Kate asked; her voice was incredibly steady.

"Hillborne said for approximately two weeks," Kono said carefully, and she watched as the room was suddenly super quiet while Steve and Kate were processing that information.

Two weeks. Cahill knew about the photos for two weeks. And he was the one to link the photos to O'Hanlin.. it wouldn't have take more than a day, hell, maybe hours.. and O'Hanlin was alive two weeks ago.

Marshall O'Hanlin was alive two weeks ago.

Kate snapped with that thought, but, before she could say anything, she heard Steve's voice.

"Kono, call Chin, I'm gonna call Danny. They were at the Ala Wai Marina and with some luck, they're still there. Tell him to bring Cahill in. We need to talk a little more.." Kono was already on the phone, calling her cousin, even before hearing everything that Steve had to say.

Steve ushered Kate into his office as he tried to talk to his partner. Danny answered his phone after the third ring, making Steve not follow Kate inside so he could talk to the blonde detective.

_"Williams."_

"Danny, where are you?"

_"I'm at the Marina, why?"_

"Great. You and Chin need to bring Cahill in."

_"What? Why? We just spoke to the guy."_ Steve could hear the confusion in Danny's words.

"We just learned he kept information from us."

_"He what? Wait, hold on.." _Steve could hear Chin speaking, but it was too far, he couldn't understand what he was saying. Apparently Kono explained Chin what was going on because when Danny returned to his phone, the confused tone gave place to determination._ "Okay. We're on it."_

"Great, thanks."

_"Wait. How's Kate holding it?"_

Steve glanced to the woman who was pacing through his room with her phone pressed to her ear.

"She's handling," Steve said, not exactly sure of his own words.

_"Right."_ Danny didn't buy that at all._ "We'll be there in a few, do whatever you can to keep her there. Don't let her do anything stupid."_

"I'll try," Steve said, and, before hanging up, he added: "Hurry."

When Steve put his phone back on his pocket and walked into his office, he noticed Kate was talking to someone on the phone. Actually, talking wasn't the most accurate term - she was having quite an argument with whoever it was on the other side of the phone.

"Then why **you** didn't tell me?" Steve didn't know who she was talking to, but he could understand why she was so mad. "I had the right to know.. I WAS THERE!" There was a pause and Steve debated whether he should stay or he should leave her alone. He was still considering his options when she turned to face him. Then she spoke again and her voice was lower and calmer. "Yeah, whatever. Just - for God's sake, don't keep these things from me, Thomas.. I have to go now, we'll talk later."

Kate threw her phone on Steve's desk and let her body fall on the chair in front of it. She seem worn out; shutting her eyes closed as a major headache struck hard, Kate pinched the bridge of her nose in an useless attempt to make it go away. "I was talking to Hillborne," she said, answering Steve's unvoiced question. Then, opening her eyes to look at the man sitting on the edge of his own desk, Kate continued: "He couldn't tell why Cahill didn't tell us about - that."

Hearing Kate call Christopher by his last name made Steve consider the extension of the damages. He knew that that news fell like a bomb, affecting her to the core and it could result in bringing the close and distant Kate back. It could be awful to the course of the investigation, and it could be a nightmare to what they had built so far. It wasn't exactly very professional of Steve, but he wanted to punch Cahill so badly. He could not believe what was happening.

"I spoke with Danny," he said softly. "He and Chin will bring him in so we can get some answers."

Kate stood up and walked to the wall glasses. She had her back to Steve when she spoke again.

"Great. Great.. Honestly, I don't know if it makes me happy, or if it makes me wanna shoot something," she admitted out loud.

"Well, Danny would be so proud to hear you saying that," Steve teased her, only to see how things were.

Kate smiled weakly, still not looking at Steve. "I'm sure he would understand," she said simply.

Kate's attitude didn't fool Steve not even for a second. She wasn't reacting strongly to the news but he knew she was this close to losing the act. Inhaling deeply, Steve voiced what was on his mind for a while now.

"Kate, I think you should step aside for a while.."

Kate was looking through the glasses; she could see Kono in her office and her laptop lying on the smart table with the logo of the Bureau shining on the screen. Trish had gone for now. The HQ was quite calm - like the calm before the storm. But, hearing Steve's words made her turn to face him.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said.."

"No, I didn't." Leaving the place she was standing, she took two steps and was face to face with McGarrett. "I heard a bunch of crap. I will not back down."

"I'm not asking you to back down," he said calmly. Kate was glaring at him, but he chose to ignore it. "I'm asking you to step aside for a while. There's a difference."

"Irrelevant. The answer is no." Steve opened his mouth to argue, but she silenced him, placing a finger on his mouth. "No, Steve."

He took her hand on his. "Kate. You're an FBI Agent, worked for the Interpol. You have to know that, sometimes, it's okay to take a step back. It gives you perspective, and believe me when I say - you are too close."

Kate wanted to yell at him. How could he be so obtuse? She wasn't a rookie. She could do it. And just because she had been through that once in her past, it didn't mean she was compromised, that she couldn't do her job. She could focus, she would focus.

"I can do it," she said simply. "As a former SEAL and Naval Intelligence, you have to know that knowledgement is leverage. And that's what I have. Knowledgement. I can do it, Steve."

Steve seemed to ponder that for a while. He knew he was right, but he couldn't deny that her logic was also correct. She could have the edge on that, it made perfect sense.

"Alright.. but under two conditions," Steve said, making Kate arch an eyebrow while looking at him.

"Obviously," she said through her teeth, rolling her eyes. She would be incredibly naïve if she was expecting Steve to accept that easily; he wasn't like that, and she knew it because she was a lot like him - they had strong personalities. "And those are.."

"First, Danny and I will talk to him first," Kate was about to argue that but he kept going, like he didn't see it. "Second, if I say that you need to take a step back, you will do it."

Kate glared at him; there was nothing in her eyes, body language or anything that suggested amusement, but Steve thought it was quite funny to see how she dealt with that.

"Wh- what makes you think that I'll accept all that, just like that?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest, raising an eyebrow and taking a step back. Kate's reaction made Steve press his lips together to avoid a smile to appear - she looked so pretty trying to keep her temper.

"I don't think, but that's exactly what you'll do. It's not up for discussion." Steve's tone wasn't harsh; on the other hand, he managed to stay calm.

Kate addressed him one last deadly glare before hissing a "fine" very much against her will. Then her eyes eased a little and she took a step further, standing inches from him and speaking in a much lower tone. "But don't you think, not even for a second, that we're done. Payback will be severe, McGarrett."

The way she said those words didn't sound like a threat at all; by all means, it actually made Steve grin inwardly.

"Are you threatening me, Miss Taylor?" Steve asked, cocking an eyebrow while staring at her; his voice was husky, low and so incredibly deep that Kate had to struggle to keep the act.

"Well.. Consider yourself warned, Steven," she said before taking a step back and turning her back to Steve so he couldn't see her heart pounding through her shirt and how her breathing pattern was so incredibly messed up - it all thanks to that man and his natural ability to send her over the edge with so little. It was infuriating and annoying, but, oh well, she would be damned.. it was also so incredibly great.

Kate didn't respond well to orders and people trying to boss her around, and with Steve, it wasn't that different. She hated his cocky attitude when he dared to give her conditions, but, against all odds, she accepted that. She didn't agree, but didn't put up a fight. She knew that, if she wanted to get some results – on the investigation and on their 'relationship', they would have to compromise; they'd have to settle any differences that might appear and, to do so, she knew that it was necessary for them to give up something at some point. That was her time to agree with his terms; she would do it for the sake of everything. Also, there would be time for Steve to pay for his Alpha Male behavior - and it would most definitely not happen right there.

. . .

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><p><em>There's a review button somewhere below these lines and, I encourage you to tell me what you think about this story! I'm always happy to hear what you think about it! <em><strong>Mahalo nui loa<strong> to everyone who's still with me!__


	27. Chapter 27

**Aloha everyone!**

**Thank you everyone who's reading this, has reviewed, favorited and/or alerted this story so far! I very much appreciate it!  
><strong>

**********New chapter is here and I hope you enjoy it :)**********

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><p>Steve was alone in his office when he heard footsteps right outside and, even before the people got to the big glass doors, he knew who they were and moved as fast as he could to get to it before Kate.<p>

"Interrogation Room," Steve told Danny as he looked over his shoulder to see Kate standing up with this fierce look in her eyes as she clenched her jaw. "I'll meet you there."

Danny nodded and led the way to the room.

.

The FBI Agent was working on her laptop and she only became aware of the visitors when Steve walked out of his room the moment Danny walked through the doors.

Kate had been going through some Yakuza files just to avoid the idea of facing her past, staring right at her, but when she saw Christopher in the middle of Chin Ho and some HPD Officer in blue uniform, it make her forget about that instantly.

Closing the laptop with more strength than necessary, Kate pushed the chair far back and stood up the very same moment that Steve glanced over his shoulder and said something to Danny who left, along with Chin, the HPD Officer and Cahill. She had taken only a couple of steps forward when Steve met her halfway.

"Kate.."

Steve had only said her name - nothing more, nothing less, but Kate raised a hand.

"Save the speech," she said quite emotionless. "I remember your terms."

Steve didn't flinch when he heard her words or saw how cold and how light the grey color of her eyes were - it was almost silver and, even though it was incredibly beautiful, it raised a red flag deep in his mind. That was the exact kind of reaction he wasn't looking forward to.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and shifted his eyes from that view when Kono joined them.

"We'll talk to Cahill," he told the Asian girl. "I'll let you know if we find something." Kono agreed; she knew that Danny and Steve would have that under control. "Alright. And Kate - we need him alive, okay?" Kate frowned at that unusual request, and Steve explained it further. "You have this crazy look in your eyes, like someone who's about to commit murder," he explained and it made her expression ease just a little.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to kill him," Kate told Steve once they were on their way to the Interrogation Room. "Not literally."

Steve turned to look at her when he stopped by the door. "Wait here, okay.."

"Sure. Go."

With one last glance at Kate. Steve walked into the dark room, leaving Kate outside, along with the HPD Officer that was escorting Cahill when they arrived.

"Excuse me.. Were you at the Ala Wai Marina?" Kate asked the man in uniform.

"Yes, ma'am," he responded with a short nod.

"Great. I'm Agent Taylor, FBI," she showed him her ID badge. "So, do you know if they got anything from the car or the guns?"

"Shortly before we left, the guns were sent to the lab to run ballistics and serial number while the vehicle was towed to the lab so they could process it," he explained, then added: "I can try to find if they got something if you want, ma'am."

"I'd like that, thank you. You'll find Officer Kono Kalakaua in her office, or next to that big fancy table," Kate said pointing the room where she and Steve left Kono. "Would you please work on it with her?"

"Sure. I just-"

"I'll let Lieutenant Kelly know, don't worry. Go."

With a nod and a "yes, ma'am", Kate watched the man walk over where Kono was. He and Kono were by the table and she was typing something when the door to the Interrogation Room opened and she saw Danny.

"Hey.. Cahill wants to talk to you," he said pointing the door with his eyes. "He says he'll only talk to you."

For a couple of seconds, Kate didn't show any reaction to what Danny had just said; she was busy thinking about what Steve said, about the crazy look in her eyes.. truth was, she wouldn't kill Cahill, but she wanted to kick the crap out of him. She felt like she was being played and she hated it; she hate it so damn much..

"Okay," she said taking a deep breath while pulling her hair up on a pony tail. "Let's go."

"Wait a second," Danny said, placing a hand in her shoulder and stopping her before she could get to the door. "Are you alright?" he asked truthfully concerned.

"Yeah, I'm good. Why do you ask?"

"Seems to me that you're about to do something irrational," he said a little worried.

"Relax, Dan. I'm good," she rubbed his shoulder as she spoke those not so reassuring words in Danny's opinion. He knew that Kate was very professional and wouldn't do anything that could possibly jeopardize the case, but something was telling him that Christopher Cahill was in huge trouble..

"If you say so," he muttered as she opened the door.

.

Kate walked into the almost dark room along with Danny. The Five-0 Interrogation Room wasn't like any other she had ever been. First of all, no two-way mirrors. There was no way for anyone to know what was going on unless the person was in the room. Second, the only furniture was a single chair in the middle of it. Third, very little illumination. The room had the looks of a dungeon or something, but she didn't mind. Actually, Kate thought, if all Interrogation Rooms were like that one, maybe it would make people talk more.

Steve was standing right in front of Cahill, who was sitting on that lonely cold chair while Chin was behind him, looking like a guard or something. Steve looked over his shoulder when the door swung open; Cahill's eyes saw past Steve and locked on the woman that had just entered. He stood up quickly and Kate noticed he wasn't cuffed - that was a little disappointing in her opinion; but then again, he wasn't cuffed when he walked into the HQ.

"Kate.. I-" It was Cahill whom spoke first, but he didn't go much further.

"HEY! SIT DOWN!" Steve demanded at the same time that Kate hissed a "shut up" at Cahill while walking towards them. She stood right behind Steve and gently placed a hand on his back.

He turned to look at Kate and, even though he could feel she was tense, Steve nodded. "I'll be right there," he said pointing the place where Danny was standing.

"Thanks," Kate whispered when he got the message. She needed some space, and was glad that Steve would give that to her.

Taking a few steps back, Steve joined Danny; Chin followed Steve's steps, giving Kate and Cahill as much privacy as they could so they could have a 'chat'.

"Kate, I know I ow-"

"I SAID. SHUT UP!" Kate's voice went a lot louder. "This is not a social visitation as you may see, so here's how we'll do. I'll ask, you'll answer. Nothing else." Kate took a tiny step further, standing about three feet away from Cahill, what Kate considered to be a safe distance.

Cahill stared at her for a while and then nodded. "Okay."

"Great," she said emotionless. Then, she turned to Steve, silently asking for the file he was holding.

Steve handed her the folder and couldn't not notice the intensity of her glare. Kate wasn't mad - she was downright furious and he almost felt sorry for Cahill. Almost.

"We found these," she said tossing a few photos on his lap. The same photos Trish had sent to Hillborne, who said that Cahill already knew about them. "In the middle of O'Hanlin's belongings."

"Kate, I can-"

"Are you deaf?" Kate cut him loudly. "I didn't ask anything yet, so keep your mouth shut until it's your turn to speak." She glared at Cahill and he nodded, making Steve, Danny and Chin smile on the background.

"It also came to our knowledge that you know about them for a while now. So, my question is. Why did you lie?"

"I did not lie." he said slowly and definitely not calm. It was more than clear that he didn't like Kate's question. "I may have not mentioned it, but I didn't lie."

"You choose not to share information that are obviously related to the investigation of the Five-0s. From where I stand, you're trying to delay our investigation. Now, why you didn't say anything about the photos when you had the chance?"

Kate's voice never rose, but every single word she uttered was as cold as it could get. They were in Hawaii, but, inside that room, it felt like Antarctica.

"I didn't think it was important," Cahill answered calmly, like that was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh wow.. So, now, you're not only a liar, but also stupid?" Kate mocked, as a smile that remind the Joker's, creeped on her face for a brief moment right before she went dead serious again and her voice went a note louder. "Of course they were important, and you knew it. You knew it perfectly. Now, tell me the truth, Cahill. Why you kept that from us?"

Christopher looked deep in her eyes and all he could see was anger; nothing but pure rage. Kate's expression alone tossed him back to 2005. It was like Australia, all over again. Their situation was slightly different, but it was like having a déjà vu, and a bad one.

They were entering a quite delicate zone right now so Cahill took a deep breath. "I was trying to spare you," he answered in a low tone.

Kate took a step back after she heard that; but her eyes never left Cahill so she didn't see Steve straightened up and taking a deep breath. He had heard it as well and didn't like that. At all.

"Trying to _spare me_? That's your best excuse? C'mon, Cahill.. I know you can come up with something a lot better than all this sensitive crap. I'm not falling for it," Kate replied coldly.

"I'm not making any excuses. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to alarm you," Cahill insisted, and then he stood up; the sudden act startled Danny, Chin and, of course, Steve. The three of them moved in sync, but they didn't go much further because Kate raised a hand, signaling them to stay where they were. She never looked back, instead, she kept her eyes on Cahill's and she noticed when he grinned lightly when the three men stood still.

"You better make that grin disappear or I'll do it myself," Kate hissed at Cahill who turned his attention to her immediately. "And you might want to sit as well."

Cahill sighed as his eyes dropped to the floor. The wall inside her was even thicker and higher than he remembered; it wouldn't be easy to get to her again. "Kate, please.. Just listen to me. Please. That's all I'm asking."

"You lost your privilege to ask anything the moment you decided not to tell me about those goddamned photos, now have a fucking seat."

Even though Kate's glare was deadly intimidating and Cahill knew he was playing with fire, he didn't sit, and he held that mortal gaze without blink.

"I didn't show you the photos because you would go all kamikaze and would most likely put your life in danger to say the least," Cahill said quietly and as calm as he could. "You're an outstanding Agent, Kate. But you're fearless. And, even though that attribute is good sometimes, it can also be a curse. And I know you well enough to say that, if I have said a word about those photos the moment I learned about it, the probability of having one more body in the morgue, of your brother receiving a folded flag, of another Agent losing its life would be higher than the Chrysler building.. So, if you believe me or not, that's up to you. But you know I'm right. And, hell, I didn't want to risk, and see you proving I was right.."

Kate's face was blank. There was not a thing that would let Cahill know if she was listening to what he was saying. But the three men standing on the background, and practically invisible to Cahill or Kate for that matter, heard what he had said, and even though they still didn't trust the model-ish like Interpol guy, and even though Steve was hating his guts after hearing all that, they couldn't just ignore what he'd just said. They knew enough about her to agree with the part where Cahill said Kate was fearless, especially Chin. He had seen, first hand, how Kate could be a little impulsive sometimes..

"I couldn't handle it," Cahill whispered and then silence settled in for a moment when he finished his speech.

"Are you done?" Kate asked, breaking the uncomfortable quietness. When Cahill didn't say a word, she continued: "I'll take that as a yes. And there are a few things I'd like to tell you. First of all, if you speak again, answering questions that weren't asked, I swear to God I'll hurt you and I'll enjoy every second of it. Second, you didn't have the right to keep that from me. Me. You should have told me. I don't care what you thought I'd do, I had the right to know. I was part of that team! And when you learn that people were watching us - you don't hide it!"

"There were no photos of you there, Kate!" Cahill pointed out exasperated.

"And? I was sent there just like everyone. I was sent there to coordinate that god-forsaken operation and look how well that turned out. Someone died. Someone who was on those photos is now dead. And, even though I wasn't the one in charge, Mark's death is on me."

Kate's voice was chocked with emotions that she kept bottled inside for so long and suddenly, Chin, Danny and Steve felt a lump on their throats.

"For God's sake, Catherine! Stop looking back on the past!" Cahill pleaded as his eyes scanned the woman in front of him.

"This is not about the past, you asshole. This is about now!" Pushing him back on the chair, she bended over just enough so they could see eye to eye, on the same level. "You may not notice it because you're so over your past that you don't recognize the signs, not even when it's painted in gold and with a neon sign over it. Australia/05, even though everyone knew that it would have a secure plan, was a classified operation. Nobody knew about us. Nobody. And yet, they had surveillance on part of the team. Does that already raised a flag on your radar or should I keep going?" Kate asked but didn't wait for his answer. "Now, here we are. Hawaii. And the Australians are again here. They already killed someone who was under protection; sure the guy wasn't the brightest person on Earth, but he was protected by the Witness Protection Program, and even so, the Australians found him, and now I have a great team that's working this case." Cahill took a deep breath and swallowed hard, he now knew what she was talking about. "This is not about the past. I'll always carry Mark's death with me, for the rest of my life because I couldn't save him. I couldn't protect him back there.. but I'm not going to risk the life of anyone else. I'm not gonna lose anyone else to this crap. So, if you like the life you have, you better start talking about those stupid photos, how O'Hanlin got them, why we didn't know about them when we were working in Australia, who's the person behind this and you better figure out if they have us on detail, because if anyone gets hurt this time, I don't care if it cost me my badge, my freedom, _anything_. I'll personally hunt your ass and hurt you back - that's a promise. So spit it out. Now."

Next to the door, Steve, Danny and Chin shared an astonished glance. They had seen badass Kate on occasion, but never like that. They didn't have to look in her eyes to know that she wasn't bluffing; the three of them knew for a fact that, if someone got hurt, Kate would indeed keep her promise.

"Okay.. Fine. I don't know why we didn't know about them when were in Australia. Hillborne and I asked ourselves this question over and over again and we didn't find a common denominator. And when I linked those photos to O'Hanlin, I tried my best to protect him. I did, Kate. I swear," Cahill said when he saw doubts in Kate's eyes. "I went after him a few times to ask him about it, but I never found him. But I told Hillborne we should keep O'Hanlin on close detail, but, somehow, they got past through it and, well, you're here."

"How the hell O'Hanlin got his hands on the photos and Interpol didn't?" Kate asked pacing in front of Cahill. She had no idea how that was possible.

"Someone hacked a computer about a month ago, but the guy was too good. No one was able to track him."

"No one? I want to know who worked on it," Kate said and Cahill nodded. "Sure. You can get a list with Hillborne, or I can get it to you if you prefer."

"I want your list," she said addressing him a glance. Of course she'd get a list with Thomas later; so far, she didn't trust Cahill at all. "I also want to know who's behind this. Who put surveillance on us?"

"I'm sorry.. I don't know."

"I'm not buying it. Not the least bit of it," Kate straightened up, crossed her arms across her chest and stopped on her tracks. "And you wanna know why? Because there are photos of you in the middle!" She shouted at him while tossing a few photos that showed Christopher Cahill in Australia. "So, think better.. Who set this on us?"

"I promise you, Catherine, I do not know."

"Don't lie to me, Christopher!" She said quite loudly while slamming her hand on the back of the chair. Kate was leaning very close to him once again to look deep in his eyes so he could get the message; Kate's next words came out slowly and very clear: "I am not stupid. Okay. How are you still working undercover after seeing these?" she pointed to the photos that were on his lap. "You're not saying everything to me, Cahill. So, you either start talking, or I'll make sure you spend a couple of nights in jail."

Cahill's eyes locked on hers and he knew she was telling the truth. "They know I worked for the Interpol, Kate. It's part of the alias. When I volunteered to be a part of this, I knew that there could be a chance that they would remember me, someone could recognize me because, honestly? We weren't exactly stealthy when they attacked us when we were on our way to the airport! So, the file they have access says I evade Interpol, turned rogue, and some other things that aren't necessary to mention.." Cahill wandered for a moment, but quickly returned his attention to the woman in front of him. "But they knew I had a past with the law enforcement. Also, those pictures didn't spread; no one talk about these photos, so, they're either hiding something or they don't know about them. And, before you ask - and please, don't hit me, I didn't tell you because I'm not supposed to tell everyone about this. I'm undercover, it's not like Halloween where we have costume contest. Call Hillborne. He'll tell you everything I just said."

Kate didn't have to ask Thomas about that - she already asked those when she was on the phone with him earlier that day. She questioned him about how and why they didn't get Cahill out of there as soon as the photos came to their knowledge, she asked about his alias and what he was telling, it was the same thing Thomas told her. But she still didn't trust him; maybe it was because he shattered the trust and their friendship, but she couldn't bring herself to trust that man again. Kate had trusting issues - major trusting issues - and it would be hard to work with him from now on. She just prayed they got that solved as soon as possible.

"Look," Cahill said when he saw the odd look in Kate's eyes that, sadly, he knew very well. "I know you don't trust me. And, even though it bothers me, I don't take it personally, Kate.. I made some decisions and some of them weren't the best, I'm aware of that. But you know that I'm the only chance you have to get closure."

"You're right, Christopher," Kate said letting go of the chair and straightening up once again. And, even though her voice was calm, they weren't any gentle. "I don't fully trust you. How can I? You said you were trying to protect me, and yet, you lied to me, kept valuable information from me? How can you protect someone by hiding things? That's bullshit. So yes. I sure as hell don't trust you. You didn't give me one reason to believe you! And as for the closure. I'll never have it. We'll end this case, and that will be it. A case closed. But closure? What do you know about that, Christopher?"

Addressing him one last glance, Kate turned her back, and walked to the place where Steve, Danny and Chin were throughout that crazy ride. "I'm done here," she said giving the files back to Steve and walked out of the room, willingly ignoring Cahill's voice calling her name and then Chin and Steve moving towards him to stop him from following her.

"Danny, go," Steve said to his partner shortly after the door closed with a soft click behind Kate. He didn't want her to be alone. "Go, Danny!"

Without waiting for another round of shouting, Danny followed Kate's steps outside of the room.

.

The Jersey detective was expecting to find Kate fuming out of the glass doors, but her pace was slow, so he didn't have to run or yell her name so she could hear him.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked when he reached her with no more than five steps.

"Sure. I'm fine," Kate answered without look at Danny, who was walking by her side. He was already expecting for that standard lie.

"Hold on," Danny said, reaching out to Kate and making her stop walking when he placed a hand on her upper arm. "Kate, everyone inside and outside this building, respects and admires you for your strength. And it won't harm your badass reputation or yourself if you answer a question honestly, and not with the standard 'fine'.. I'm sorry if I'm being too nosy, but you're not fine. With all possible respect - and, please, don't hurt me - you're a wreck."

Danny had his both hands in the air when he said that last sentence. Kate smiled at that because she would never hurt Danny, but after the small show she had put up inside, she just let her head fall and smiled shyly. He was also quite correct; she wasn't fine.

"Am I that bad?" she asked when she raised her head once again, bringing herself to look into those blue eyes that were so tender.

"Well, yeah," Danny admitted softly. "C'mon," he said; placing a hand on the small of her back, he guided her to his office, and pointed the couch with his other hand when they got to it. "Take a seat and have some rest. You look like someone who's about to pass out."

Kate didn't even argue and let her almost lifeless body fall on the couch. Her head was pounding, like someone was hitting it with a hammer, and she felt exhausted, like she had run a marathon. All she wanted to do now was to shut the world off and just lie down. But she couldn't do that. She would not break down like that.

"I'm gonna be fairly honest with you, Danny. None of this makes me content," Kate blurted after a few seconds. "I don't like where this case is going, I don't like this situation with Christopher, I don't like any of it. But, despite all of it, I still have to work on this. I just don't know how things are gonna be from now on."

Danny was sitting on the edge of his desk, his eyes locked on the weary woman on his couch. He didn't blame her at all; that case was picking on his nerves. He didn't trust Cahill and it was unnerving the fact that he had to work with someone he can't trust.

"Did you buy anything that he told you?" Danny asked the inevitable question. He was there, he heard the whole conversation between Kate and Cahill, but he wanted to know what she had in mind.

"Coming from his mouth? Not a thing. But I talked to Hillborne before getting into that room, so I have to admit that, some things he said about the case, they matched what Thomas told me."

"Maybe they're in this together?" That was a dangerous question to be made and he knew that, but, again, necessary. Also, everyone should be wondering the same thing.

"Not a chance," Kate waved that off. "I know Hillborne, I worked for him and I know he wouldn't compromise the credibility of the Interpol. Not to mention he's high profile in there and they keep all the important people on close watch, so, if there was a chance that Hillborne was thinking about getting dirty, he'd be out already."

"So.. what are we gonna do?"

"Honestly? I don't know.. But I'll figure something out," she said firmly. She had to figure something out.

Letting her head fall back with her eyes closed, Kate didn't notice when Chin, Steve and Cahill left the Interrogation Room and returned to the work station.

**xxx**

As soon as Danny left the room, Steve dragged Cahill back to the chair. Clearly, they weren't done.

"Sit down," he demanded and Cahill did as he was told to, not without addressing him a glare. "Now you listen to me. I know you heard what Kate said, but if something happen. Anything. I'll get to you before she does, and, trust me, it won't be pretty."

"Look, McGarrett. I'm aware of the fact that you don't trust me. That no one of your team trust me. And I doubt you would even if I have said everything from the beginning," Cahill spoke like he didn't heat a single word Steve had just said. "And don't tell me I'm wrong because I'm not. You wouldn't believe me, or approve my presence on this, because you like her. You like Kate. But, I have a few questions for you. How long have you known her? How well do you know her? Better yet, how many times you went on the field with her? I'm gonna take a bet here and say, not much." Cahill made a pause to look deep in Steve's eyes. Clearly his guesses were all accurate and the Five-0 leader wasn't enjoying that talk. At all. "Even though we don't speak for seven years, I know her well enough. I worked with that woman several times during the three years she was an Interpol Agent. I know her on the field and out of it. I know how she works. So, I kept some information from her? Yes, I did. And I would do it all over again. If doing so means keeping her alive, then I'd do it all over again and in a heartbeat. How about you, Steven? Huh? Would you rather give her the kind of information that would possibly kill her, or would you keep it to yourself?"

Steve's eyes were dark with pure anger. He was angry with Cahill's cocky attitude, he was angry with the way he was talking to him, he was so damn angry with his words, and, most of all, he was mad because he actually could understand what Christopher Cahill was saying.

"You do know that Kate doesn't trust you, right?" Chin asked. "And after what you just got from her, you are aware of the fact that she might even hate you right now."

Cahill shifted his gaze to the Asian man. "I do. I've been living with that for seven years, Lieutenant Kelly. I knew I broke her trust the day I put her in that helicopter in Australia because I knew about her past, and I knew how she deals with losses. I knew ever since there that things between us would never be the same. I didn't like leaving a man behind. Even if he didn't have a chance to survive, I did not like leaving a man behind. And I would have stayed there with him till the end if I could. But Kate was there too, and she wouldn't leave, not even if God himself came to Earth and ordered her to. She wouldn't leave anyone. So, I was in the middle of a dilemma. Should I risk everything and everyone's safety to try to take a man who didn't have much chance of survival, or should I do as he was telling me and leave, saving two lives? I made a call. I couldn't risk her life. I couldn't. Now, I don't care if you trust me or not, if you believe me or not, if you think I'm just faking all this. With all due respect, that's irrelevant to my life at the moment.. but I wouldn't let her get hurt. And if protecting her means that she hates me for the rest of her life, so be it. As long as she's breathing and her heart is beating, I'm glad, and I stand by my acts and decisions one hundred per cent."

Chin listened to every word he said and his eyes were on Cahill's all the time; by the time the blonde guy finished, Chin knew he wasn't lying. While saying those words, he was being sincere the whole time and Chin knew it because he'd been there. With Malia. Circumstances were a lot different but he did the same for her - to protect her, spare her from suffering. And, just like Cahill, he'd do it all over again because he deeply cared for her, and that's when Chin realized; Cahill kept all that important stuff from Kate, from everyone, causing himself all that trouble because Cahill cared about Kate. He liked her. Hells, maybe he even loved her.. Question here is, does Kate know it?

Steve must have reached the same conclusion because his fists were turning white and he was clenching his jaw with such strength that, when Chin looked at him, he thought that maybe - just maybe - Steve was about to break Cahill's nose.

He didn't of course, but he leaned very close to Cahill and when he spoke, his voice didn't sound like anything that Chin heard before. It was dark and low and husky and he thought, if Cahill had some sort of heart disease, he'd be dead by now due to a heart attack.

"From now on, you'll tell me everything that there is to know about this goddamned case, you hear me? Every single thing. And if you screw with us, oh, may God have mercy on you."

Cahill held Steve's deadly gaze damn well in Chin's opinion. It was like a clash of titans their intense stare; almost beautiful, except for the fact that if they were somewhere else, he was quite sure it would end up with them at the ER.

"Okay," Chin said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Let's go back to our business, everyone.. Steve." Chin had to call Steve's name and slightly pull him backwards so they could end that crazy thing going on.

Very much against his will, Steve took two steps back while Chin told Cahill to stand up and the three of them left that considerably large room that was starting to feel so incredibly small.

.

"I'll call when I have something," Cahill said when they got back to the work station. He knew that Steve had his eyes on him the whole time, so he just glanced at Kate who was inside an office with Danny.

"Yeah, you do that," Chin told him before Steve could say anything; with a short nod, he signaled that Cahill could and should go.

Steve just followed Cahill with his eyes as he made his way out of the place; then, he shifted his eyes to Danny's office, where he had seen Kate. She was sitting on Danny's couch with her eyes closed; she looked like a mess, and he wasn't feeling any happier. Until they got to the bottom of it, Steve knew it would be a long ass ride..

"Hey," Chin asked when Cahill was gone. "What we'll do now?"

Steve turned his attention to Chin and took a deep breath. "Honestly? I don't know.. But we'll figure something out."

. . .

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><p><em>There's a review button somewhere below these lines and, I encourage you to tell me what you think about this story! I'm always happy to hear what you think about it! <em><strong>Mahalo nui loa<strong> to everyone who's still with me!__


	28. Chapter 28

**Aloha everyone!**

**Thank you everyone who's reading this, has reviewed, favorited and/or alerted this story so far! I very much appreciate it!  
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**And, dear **_Karen_**, thanks for such kind words. I'm glad you like it. And yes, it's heading towards the end, but let's not think about it for now, alright? :) kisses and hugs to you, **_maui04_** and **_francis2_**!  
><strong>

**********New chapter is here and, you'll notice it's kinda different but I hope you enjoy it :)**********

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><p>Knocking on Danny's door, Steve held it open, not exactly inside of the room.<p>

"Hey, everything's okay?"

Kate sort of straightened on the couch so she could see Steve, and also look a little more presentable.

"Sure," she replied rather quickly. "Everything's great. Did you guys finish with Cahill?"

Steve noticed she was still a little tense with all the recent events. He didn't blame her, of course, but, deep down, he didn't like the fact that she was that much affected.

"Yeah," he said with a nod and pushing all those thoughts to the back of his mind. "He just left."

"Great." Kate sounded quite relieved and that made Steve frown; she noticed that. "What? You said you wanted him alive, didn't you?"

Steve couldn't help but chuckle with that, especially when Danny frowned, muttering a "wow" that he knew fairly well by now.

"Now," Kate continued, making both, Steve and Danny, to look at her. "If you excuse me, I'm gonna see if Kono found something," she announced and just like that, she stood up and walked out of the room, passing by Steve like he wasn't even there.

Steve and Danny watched that scene not exactly surprised.

"Well, I'd say that she's still _slightly_ upset," Danny said humorous, trying to lighten the mood that was quite thick.

Steve didn't say a word. Instead, he only followed Kate with his eyes; her entire body was screaming "keep out". Now, that was frustrating. It was like, when they managed to take one step forward - thanks to Christopher Cahill and his god forsaken existence - Steve was witnessing Kate take two steps back. He made a mental note to, when they closed this case, punch that stupid Interpol Agent.

.

"Hey there," Kate said when she joined Kono, next to the smart table.

"Hey you," she replied glancing at her. Kono noticed she was in distress. "Tough day, huh?"

"A somewhat, yes," Kate said with a short nod. A 'somewhat' didn't even begin to cover but there was no point in keep complaining about it. "So, any news from the rifle and gun?"

"Actually, yes," Kono said, her fingers working fast to show her what she got. "The serial numbers from the rifle says it belonged to someone involved with the case." She made a brief pause to look at Kate who was paying attention to every single word she said. "It was Mark Sheppard's rifle."

Kate's expression was blank. She didn't even flinch when Kono said Sheppard's name. The last three hours or so were like a rollercoaster of emotions and she rode it more than once - right now, she was too exhausted to show any kind of emotion.

The lack of reaction coming from Kate raised a flag on Kono's radar; the Asian girl quickly shifted her eyes to where Danny and Steve were staying and with just a short movement of her head, both men left Danny's office to join them.

"Sheppard owned three rifles," Kono continued when Danny and Steve stood by her side. "It's possible that this particular rifle was collected by the Australians.. in 2005." Kono hesitated to finish that sentence, but Kate didn't seem to notice.

"But we can't check it, because there are no records saying which one he was using that day," Kate said. To everyone's surprise, she sounded so incredibly calm.

"Well, yeah," Kono agreed.

"What about the pistol?" Steve asked after addressing Kate a quick glance, but he couldn't read her at all.

"No match."

"Unfreakingbelievable," Kate hissed. She had both her hands on her hips and her head was down. That whole investigation seemed to be a dead end. It was like they was walking in circles, not getting anywhere. Everything was taking her back to 2005, it was like a goddamned nightmare. Kate never said it, but if nothing changed until Friday, she would go extreme, even though she still didn't know what the hell was going on; she just couldn't accept that nothingness.

"Okay," Danny said thoughtful. "Anything else?"

"No," Kono said shaking her head. "So far that's all I got. The HPD is working on the car and running ballistics. Chin said he'll call if he finds something."

The four of them remained in silence for a little while.

"Okay, guys," Steve said after a minute. "It's already half past six.. We should call it a day and get back on this tomorrow."

He glanced at Kate; he was expecting some sort of resistance, maybe an "Are you out of your mind?", but, surprisingly enough, she agreed with him.

"Works for me," she said and everyone noticed this little hint of tiredness in her voice.

"Me too," added Danny, followed by Kono. "Me three."

"Alright, so.. Let's go," Steve said, and he didn't have to say it twice. They were all working on shutting the machines off and less than five minutes, they were all out of the building.

**xxx**

The air inside Kate's Aston Martin was so thick that Steve wondered how on Earth they were still breathing. He was the one behind the steering because Kate tossed him the keys and told him to drive - that alone made Steve frown and glance at Kate with the corner of his eyes several times.

If Steve thought he was fooling someone, he was so damn wrong. Even though Kate had her eyes focused on the road ahead, she could feel his piercing vigilant eyes on her from time to time. At some point, she decided to end that.

"Relax, Steve," Kate said softly. "I'm not gonna have a nervous breakdown or collapse.."

To say that her sudden comment surprised Steve was one hell of an understatement. He went speechless for three seconds or more. But when he looked at her, she was considerably more approachable.

"Well, you've been kinda hard to read," Steve admitted. "Guess I didn't know what to expect."

"I'm sorry," Kate said shifting her eyes back to the road ahead and she noticed they weren't far from Steve's house. "It's just.. Too much information, you know? I had to take some time to process everything."

That was a very unusual day in Steve's opinion. All the ups and downs were sometimes overwhelming and, hearing Kate apologize for her behavior should be definitely the cherry on top - at least thus far.

"How did that work?" Steve asked when he made a turn and got to his street.

"Not that great," she admitted with a half smile that looked a little out of place, but was still quite beautiful. "I guess this is _one of those days_ when I _wish I hadn't woken up_."

Steve pulled into the driveway in front of his place, killed the engine but didn't leave. "Look," he said quietly. "We'll end this, okay? We will."

Kate only murmured a "yeah"; she had been fighting this for long enough now and, even though she wanted to believe Steve so badly, she still had doubts. She heard once that, everyone who's involved with some sort of police work, has a case that will never leave them, returning every now and then to haunt her - maybe that was her personal ghost.

.

Steve and Kate had a quiet dinner; none of them spoke very much and, when they did, it was all about neutral subjects. Just like he was expecting, she wasn't that open.

After that awkward meal, Kate took over the dishes, allowing Steve to go upstairs and have a much needed shower. He was quite stressed, especially after his two encounters with Cahill, and a hot shower was everything he wanted.

About twenty minutes later, Steve returned downstairs; his hair still wet and wearing only a pair of sweatpants.

"Kate?" The house was completely immersed on silence. A brief moment of panic took over his body, until he heard this distant but familiar voice coming from his lanai.

"Over here!" Kate replied with a few seconds of delay.

Steve breathed deeply, thankful that she didn't go for anything reckless. With long and quick steps, he reached his lanai to find Kate sitting on the bench, hugging her long legs and holding a glass with some transparent liquid that he doubted it was water.

"Hey," she said when Steve appeared by the door.

"Hey," he replied, walking over the place and sitting by her side. "What's going on?" He didn't try to hide the concern in his question.

"Nothing.. I'm just a little overwhelmed, I suppose."

Steve was considering to protest but he knew there wasn't much to talk about. He knew what she had in mind, and he knew it would be useless to try to pry into her life when she was that elusive. Not to mention, he wasn't particularly happy with some things he heard from their not-so-dear collegue.

"Alright," Steve agreed, giving up on his strict posture and doing his best to relax - quite impossible thing to do, to be honest. "Okay.. But, hey, you know that, if you want to talk-"

"I know," Kate interrupted him before he could finish. "I know," she added in a calmer tone and taking his hands on hers. "Thanks."

The two of them just sat there, holding hands and watching the waves crashing on the shore line.

Both had a lot of things in mind, things that they didn't really want to talk about, but that was giving them too much time to think, too much room for their active imagination and the feeling that an abyss had just opened between them was mutual.

.

They've been out there for about an hour when Kate turned to look at Steve.

"Hey.. I'll go back inside. I'm really tired," she said, and her voice wasn't suggesting she was lying. "Are you coming?"

Steve wasn't exactly expecting that question, but he was so glad she asked him that. "In a moment," he said with a smile.

"Alright." Kate stood up and, before walking into the house, she took two steps back and surprised Steve with a soft kiss on his lips. "Good night," she whispered, smiling back at him. And when Steve went to bed about half hour later, even though Kate was already asleep, he was feeling a somewhat happier.

**xxx**

The next work day started as good as the last one finished.

Chin called, telling them that the CSU didn't find anything useful, and the guns, like Steve informed him, were quite a dead end. He told him that they belonged to a deceased Agent and was pretty much it. Kono and Trish tried to check if Sheppard's other rifles had some possible match with any other cases in Australia or anywhere else in the world but the search ended up like everything else in that case - nothing.

It was not until 4 PM that they got some good news, if that's what it could be called.

Steve was in his office with a very impatient Kate pacing back and forth, trying to think outside the box when Steve's phone rang.

"McGarrett," he answered very professionally and a little more serious than the usual when he didn't recognize who was calling.

_"Commander, this is Cahill, and I have news for you and your team."_

Steve stood up immediatelly, causing Kate to stop in a halt and look at him startled.

"What?" she asked but Steve just looked at her.

"And what's that?" he said, ignoring Kate's question and her intense gaze.

_"I arranged your team to get into the party I mentioned. It'll be tomorrow. Tell Kate to come to the Hilton and I'll give her all the information."_

"That's not gonna happen, Cahill," Steve said. By that time, Danny and Kono were watching him from outside his room, through the glass walls.

_"Look, I'd do that some other way but there isn't any. So, tell h-" _

When she heard Cahill's name and Steve didn't answer any of her questions, Kate closed the distance between her and Steve and yanked the phone out of his hands and put it on the speaker; everything she heard was: _"to meet me at the bar in twenty minutes. We have no time to lose, McGarrett."_

"Why exactly we have no time to lose?" Kate asked, ignoring Steve intense glare.

_"Kate. I need you to come to the Hilton. I got you and your people into that reunion I mentioned, but I gotta give you further detail."_

"Well, do it now," she replied coldly. She was still mad at him, but was managing to control her anger. If they had a chance to figure that crap, she'd take it and hold onto it.

_"Kate, you have to trust me just a little bit. I need to talk to you directly."_

Kate shifted her eyes to Steve. He didn't have to say a word for her to know he didn't like that, and she wasn't exactly hyper over that.

"It might be our only chance," she mouthed; not that she didn't want Cahill to heart it - she didn't care about that -, but she needed to reason with Steve.

"Kate, no.. we can't exactly protect you if you go there," Steve whispered back.

"I'll be fine, I promise," she replied, and, before Steve could say something else, she spoke louder. "I'll be there in ten."

Steve ran a hand over his face while the other was resting on his desk. He didn't approve that not even for a second.

_"I'll wait,"_ Cahill said and, without saying goodbye, Kate ended that phone call and braced herself for Steve's reaction.

"Wanna explain what was that?" he asked coldly but Kate didn't blame him. If it was the other way around, if in some alternate reality she was the leader of a team and someone that wasn't exactly part of her team but was working with her decided to do something like that, she'd be furious, so, she tried to not shut him off.

"It might be our only chance, Steve," Kate said as calm as she could be, when Danny knocked on the door just to announce his presence in there.

"What's going on?" he asked while watching Kate as she scanned the room looking for something.

"Not now, Danny," Steve replied a little too harsh, making Danny to frown at him. Steve also noticed he was about to start ranting at him.

"Cahill called," Kate said before Danny could complain about how comunication was the key to the success of every kind of relationship that there is or whatever it was that he had in mind that time. "He got us into the party that'll have and he wants to meet me to provide us with furder information," she explained when Danny didn't stop looking at her.

"And she's going," Steve added very annoyed. "To the Hilton. Where we can't exactly cover her."

"Well, we could just stop by and have a drink," Danny suggested.

"No. You can't," Kate said matter of factly. "And you won't. You'll stay put until I get back. All of you. Look, I know what you're thinking; I know you're probably wondering it can be dangerous, and you know what, you're probably right. But it's not like we have a lot of choices here. So, I'm asking you to trust me."

Steve and Danny were still uneasy with that, but then again, what else could they do? She was right. That could be their last chance to end that case, the last chance for Kate to get rid of that.

"Look, I'll call you and you can hear the whole thing, okay. I'll be fine," she said taking the keys out of her jacket and walking to the door. "See you guys soon."

Kate stormed out of the HQ; Danny, Steve and Kono couldn't do more than just watch that and worry about her.

.

As promised, Kate called Steve the moment she parked her car in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

_"Would you please be extra careful and don't do anything reckless?"_ Steve's voice was deeply concerned.

"I'll be just as reckless as you are, I promise," Kate said a little amused. She wasn't very comfortable doing that, but it was fun to hear that kind of request.

_"Please, don't. That's not funny,"_ said Danny in response to her comment. _"Seriously. If something feels odd, let us know and we'll be there as fast as possible, okay?"_

"Roger that. Don't worry, guys. I'll be fine. Now, stay on the line cause I'm going in."

.

Just like she said, Kate got to the Hilton in ten minutes and, by the time she walked into the bar, Cahill was already there, waiting for her. To her surprise, he wasn't alone.

"Hey, sweetie," he said, leaving his place and walking towards Kate and pulling her into a hug. _"Play along,"_ he whispered in her ear. _"I'll explain later." _

"Hey, honey," Kate replied, trying to sound as real as she could. "What is going on?"

A quick glance to the table and Kate went paler than she already was. There were three people with him, one of them she had never seen before, the second guy was the same who appeared when she was talking to Cahill by the pool a couple of days ago, but it was the third guy who gave her the creeps - James White. The son of a bitch was surprisingly alright.

"Here," Cahill said taking something from his pocket and giving it to her. A key. "I'll be up in a minute, alright?" Then, to her surprise, he kissed her. Not exactly on the lips, but damn close to the corner of her mouth. She wanted to slap him, but she new she had to keep the act and, to them, she was Cahill's girfriend.

"Alright. I'll be waiting, don't take too long, babe," she said with a smile and then, turning to the men on the table, she said a polite "gentlemen" before walking out of the bar, towards the elevator and, eventually, to his room.

_"Crap!"_ That meeting wasn't going like she had planned. By the time she got to Cahill's room, Kate checked her gun twice, just to be sure, and then she took her phone again.

"Are you still there?" she asked, more like starting a conversation again than anything else. She didn't think they had disconnected.

_"We're here,"_ she heard Danny's voice. _"What was that?"_

"There was a little unexpected event, but don't worry. I got it."

_"But what was it?"_ That would be Steve, and that was expected.

"Cahill was having this meeting with some Australians." Kate didn't see a reason to startle them, talking about White.

_"I'm sorry, I think my hearing failed for a moment.. Did you just say Cahill is having a __**meeting**__ with __**Australians**__?"_ Danny asked, and she could hear Steve on the background hissing and whispering something that sounded a lot like _'I knew this was a bad idea'_.

"Relax. There's nothing to worry, I can handle it." And she could, the problem would be if there were more of them.

_"You should come back. This can be easily a trap,"_ said Danny a little concerned.

"Danny, I'm not coming back. I can handle this, alright. I did this before, so relax and let me do my job," she said and then she heard footsteps right outside and the doorknob turning. "Hang on," she whispered and, with a hand touching her SIG-Sauer, she walked carefully across the room and to the door.

Kate was ready to get her gun and fire when she noticed it was Cahill. And, finally, he was alone.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" she asked coldly.

Cahill turned to find Kate standing by the door to the bedroom, with her hands close to her gun and her strict posture staring at him with this deadly look in her eyes.

"I bet you'd like that," he replied with a half smile; she didn't respond to that.

"What was that?"

"I'm sorry. That was totally unexpected, I promise. I wasn't waiting anyone but you.."

Kate waved that off. "Alright. Let's fast forward this part and get straight to the point."

Cahill nodded. "Fair enough," he agreed. Then, he took the_ "do not disturb" _sign and put it on the door. "C'mon," he said passing by Kate and getting into his bedroom. "I just don't want to risk someone overhearing us," he explained when Kate never moved and her glare became more intense.

"One false move, only one slip and I promise you, the next room you'll see will be the Emergency Room," Kate said very seriously but still, Cahill smiled at her.

"Don't worry. I learned long ago to not mess with you," he said when she walked by him.

"So, I'm assuming we have company, am I right or am I right?"

If that was supposed to intimidate, it never worked. Kate just took the phone out of her pocket and activated the speaker.

"Start talking," she said, holding the phone so Danny, Kono and Steve could hear him perfectly.

"Sure, but first, I need to show you something and that's why I needed you to come here," Cahill said reaching for his laptop that was on the nightstand.

"Have a seat," he said after sitting on his bed, powering the laptop on and putting it on the bed so she could have a better look at it. "This," he said opening a file. "Is an alias that Hillborne and I came up with to this job so we could bust Fairbanks.."

Kate sat by his side so she could see better what he was showing. The alias of someone named "Anthony Lucca" had quite an impressive rap sheet. He was an Italian man with many business, such as, weapon and drug dealing, money laundring and a few other things to make him an interesting guy.

"Alright, I'm listening," she said paying more attention to him now.

"Like I said, there will be some party tomorrow. Richard Fairbanks will probably be there and-"

"Wait," Kate interrupted him before he could go any further. "_Probably_?"

"No one knows when or if the man will appear," said Cahill a little darker than she was expecting. "He's one of the big guys behind it so no one knows.."

That wasn't exactly good news but she nodded, indicating that he could go on.

"Like I was saying, there will be this party tomorrow and, as you already know, this might be our chance to end this. Anyways, Mr. Lucca was also invited to this party and he'll attend it."

Kate looked at him like he was speaking some unknown language.

"So? Why is this so important?"

Cahill gave her a perky smile and took her phone in his hands.

"Detective Williams, you think you can learn a some Italian until tomorrow?"

Kate frowned. _What the hell?_

_"I'm sorry, what?"_ Danny's voice came through the speakers, and he was as astonished as Kate was.

Cahill couldn't avoid a chuckle whe he noticed Kate's face and heard Danny's question. "Anthony Lucca is an alias without a face," he explained. "And since you want to be part of it, then you could be the face to the name, because you look more like an Italian than your partner, McGarrett."

Honestly, Kate thought that neither men had the looks of an Italian man, but true, Steve would seem more out of place than Danny.

There was this moment of silence, followed by Steve and Danny discussing about that option. They should have taken a few steps back from the Steve's phone because Kate couldn't make sense out of what they were saying.

_"What about McGarrett?"_ Danny asked after a minute or so.

"I can arrange him as a waiter," Cahill said simply. "That's the best I can do."

That didn't sound like it was the best he could do to anyone, but it's not like they could pick what they wanted to do.

"Alright," Steve said, clearly not amused. "We're in."

"Brilliant," Cahill exclaimed. "I'll send Anthony Lucca's file with Kate so you Williams can study that. Also, you have a +1 invitation. The address will be attached with the file, and it starts at 7 PM. McGarrett should be there an hour earlier."

"Woah, wait. What about backup?" Kate asked a little concerned. She wasn't gonna take any chances this time.

"I'm fairly sure that Hillborne informed you that I am not solo. Here," he said opening two new files and showing them to Kate. Much like 'Anthony Lucca', the two men had quite interesting files. "Agents Porter and Connor will be there as well, security guards."

Kate didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing, but she knew that Hillborne had sent two of his top agents to work with Cahill.

"Okay. But I'll have someone I trust outside, just in case." Kate was obviously thinking about Chin.

"I thought you'd do it," Cahill said and he was really not impressed.

Kate just rolled her eyes as she pocketed the flash drive he handed her. "Alright, I'm coming back now, guys.."

She was just walking to the door when someone knocked and she came to a halt immediately. She had taken her phone off of the speaker but she felt her blood freeze in her veins. What if someone was listening to their conversation?

"Hey, relax," Cahill whispered when he walked past her. "You seem too nervous, like you were doing something wrong.. Wipe that look of your face."

Kate took a couple of deep breaths and, by the time that Cahill answered the door, she was sitting on the sofa, looking incredibly calm.

. . .

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><p><em><em><strong>Mahalo nui loa<strong> to everyone who's still with me! And there's a review button if you feel like sharing what you think. Bye for now :)  
><em>_


	29. Chapter 29

**Aloha sailors!**

**Thank you everyone who's reading this, has reviewed, favorited and/or alerted this story so far! I very much appreciate all of you lovely people!  
><strong>

**Here's another chapter and I hope you people enjoy it!  
><strong>

**Warning:** _This story is now rated M and there's a reason for that..._

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><p>When Kate saw the two figures walking into Cahill's room, she felt her heart skip a beat. She was waiting for some Australian dude, but what she saw was something entirely different.<p>

"Hey, Kate, we heard you'd join us," said Connor, one of Hillborne's Agents.

"You heard right," she replied feeling a lot lighter and dropping the act. "But now I'll leave you guys alone. I have something to do."

Connor and Porter said their goodbyes, and when Kate was just leaving, Cahill called her.

"Tomorrow. Seven. Be ready."

"Sorry, what?" she said stopping on her tracks and turning to look at him.

"You're my _plus one_," Cahill said with a smile on his face that she felt the urge to wipe it off with her shoes.

Kate just stared at him blankly. She didn't know what to expect because she was already seen with Cahill before, but she didn't consider going with him to that party; not really.

"Alright. I'll meet you here," she said coldly before leaving, without looking back.

The things she would do to finish this awful nightmare..

.

"Hey buddies. I'm back and in one piece," Kate said walking through the glass doors of the Five-0 headquarters. "Actually, two pieces." She waved the flash drive.

Danny, Steve and Kono were just waiting for her, sitting at a table, right beside the smart one.

"This is for you," she said giving Danny the flash drive and resting her hands on his shoulder. "Mr. Anthony Lucca. I must say, I'm actually dying to see you playing an Italian," Kate said with a smile that could also be seen on Kono's face.

Danny turned to look at the moment behind him while taking her hands in his. "I love you to death, Kate, but right now, I hate you. So much." Then, he took the flash drive and went to the smart table to check who he would turn to.

"Oh, look at this. Drugs, weapons, money laundering.. My mom would be so proud," he said sarcastically.

"After this, I'll personally apologize with Mrs. Williams for taking you to the dark side, Dan," Kate replied amused.

"So," Kono said after checking Danny's alias, Anthony Lucca. "Do we have a plan for tomorrow?"

"Well, that's the tricky part," Kate admitted. She didn't know how they operated, so that was something they needed to discuss. "Interpol has two other Agents like you heard," Kate said, showing the photos of Connor and Porter she asked Cahill to save on the flash drive. "They're two of the very best so I trust them. But, in any case, I talked to Chin shortly after I left the Hilton and he agreed to be our 'backup', so, during the whole time, he'll be right outside. What I have in mind is get in, try to get the information we need and get out; if something happen or we need to bring someone in, Chin will be ready to jump in, not to mention Connor and Porter. But then, I don't know how you guys do it, so.." Kate looked for Steve. "What do you think?"

Steve thought about that for a moment. He had been through a situation a lot similar to that and he trusted his team, and now that he knew that Chin would be there too, he felt a lot more confident.

"I think it can work if we sync our movements," Steve said after considering the idea for a moment. Kate's plan was all about efficiency. In and out, plain and simple. That was great. Except, things were rarely plain and simple. And they were about to get into a territory they barely knew. "I mean, we'll be among the bad guys, and that's something we have experience, but it won't be just us."

"I thought about that," Kate said looking at everyone. "But I think it can me arranged."

Kono frowned. "And how we would do that?"

"Well, first of all, we'll be in touch all the time and Chin will be coordinating and watching everything from a mobile station outside. Danny's alias allows him almost free pass into the organization, so we might be able to get answers to our thus far unanswered questions," she said and paused for a moment to look at everyone, just to be sure they were following. "Kono, who'll be Danny's plus one, can try to get something, casual talking to people. McGarrett will be our waiter for the night, so, it means he can walk around almost unnoticed, meaning his eyes and ears will be very helpful."

Kono, along with Danny and Steve agreed that Kate's idea was very coherent, except for two things.

"What about you?" Kono asked curious, followed by Steve: "And what about Cahill? We need to keep an eye on him."

"I'll be with Cahill," she announced not so excited. "And this means I'll keep both eyes on him."

They took that notice as fine as a tsunami alert. Kono and Steve had this concerned look in their faces, which was voiced when Danny spoke.

"Are you serious?"

"Well, yes. If he considers the possibility to screw things up, I'll be there to either stop him or let you know."

The way she said it, in that particular order, didn't warm anyone up. If anything, it just made them stare at her, like she just suggested something out of this world.

"Stop him or let us know.. That's nice. That's really nice," Danny said sarcastically. The way he was pinching the bridge of his nose was more than enough to let Kate know he didn't like that.

"I know it's risky," Kate said avoiding everyone's gaze. "But someone has to do it, and even though I don't fully trust him, I know him a little bit better than anyone in this room." Kate made a pause, searching for Kono and Steve to see how they were taking that.

To her surprise, Steve just gave her a short nod, indicating that he was alright with that.

"Okay," Steve said to everyone. "I think we have set our next move.."

"Woah, woah.. Wait a minute," Danny interrupted Steve. "Can I speak with you for a minute?" he asked pointing to an empty space to his left side.

Steve followed Danny only a few steps away from where Kono and Kate were. "Are really you okay with this?" Danny asked with a huge frown.

"Yes, I'm okay with this, Danny. Why? You're not?"

Danny shifted on his feet. "Am I not? No, I'm not. You're the one who doesn't like Christopher Cahill but you're okay with leaving Kate with him? What am I missing here?"

Steve knew Danny enough to know he was truly concerned about Kate. And he was as well. "Danny, she's an Agent. She worked with this before.." Steve made a pause when he noticed Danny was glaring at him. "You think she's compromised?"

"I think it's a personal matter for her, that's all."

Steve cocked an eyebrow. "Really, Danny? If I was having this conversation with Kono, I wouldn't mind, but you? Out of all people?"

"Me? What about me? What's that supposed to mean?" Danny asked crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"When your ex-partner died.. Wasn't that too much of a personal matter for you too?"

Before Steve could finish that, Danny was already shaking his head. "That was different."

"How?" Steve asked, mimicking Danny and crossing his arms while staring at him. "How is this any different? Danny, Kate is a trained Agent, and we need to trust her. If something happen, we'll be there and we'll deal with it like we always did. Why are you creating a fuss over that?"

Danny took a couple of deep breaths, looked at Kate with the corner of his eyes and ran his hand through his face before answering Steve's question. "This doesn't seem odd to you? How she's here and all this things are suddenly happening? We're investigating this case and all we can find are things from seven years ago. A man died because of something that happened in 2005. What if she's a target?"

Steve heard that quite intrigued. "Kono said she wasn't a target, Danny. Besides, that doesn't make any sense. Why would they want to kill her? And now?"

"I don't know. But someone is already dead, and, according to Kate, the Interpol assigned two of their best Agents to work as backup? I bet my car that 'babysitting' is not on the résumé of those agents."

Now that made some sense, but Steve trusted his skills and his team's for that matter. "Danny, we'll be there. You'll be with her the whole time. We can handle this." Steve's words weren't just to make him feel better. Steve meant every single word. They would handle that, but even so, Danny sighed.

"I don't like Cahill. And I don't like her with him," Danny admitted, and that piece of information made Steve's brows furrow. That would be interesting. "You heard what she said in the interrogation room. She's furious with him and I'm afraid it'll cloud her judgment and put her life in danger in case something happens."

Steve needed to agree with Danny; that thought crossed his mind as well and, even though he was a bit concerned about that too, Kate was not a civilian seeking for a blind revenge. She was a part of the law enforcement and they needed to trust she knew what she was doing.

"Danny, you gotta trust her, man.. Besides, we'll be there. If she gets her judgment clouded, we will be there."

Danny seemed to accept that - at least he didn't argue anymore. Or almost. "Wait a minute," he said when Steve was about to walk back to where the girls were. "How we changed roles here? Why aren't you worried about Kate?"

A small smile played with Steve's lips when he heard that. "I'm worried about her, Danny. But I also trust that she knows what she's doing."

"Right," Danny said, while walking back to where Kate and Kono were just going through all the possible scenarios they could face the next day.

"Hey," Kate said when Danny stood by her side. "You alright?"

"Yeah," he said flashing her a smile. "I think I owe you an apology." Danny looked straight at her when he said those words.

"Forget it, Dan," Kate said giving him a smile. She took his hands on hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's all good."

"All good except for the fact that I need to learn some Italian in what? Less than twenty four hours," Danny muttered quite unhappy.

"Need help with that?" Kate asked.

"Do you speak Italian?" Danny asked back. Judging by the grin he got in response, the answer was yes.

"If I speak Italian? _Sì, amore, io parlo un pochino. Non molto, ma penso che sia un inizio.._"

Danny, much like Steve and Kono had their eyes locked on Kate.

"I have no idea what you just said," Danny spoke after a few seconds. "And it could be an insult, I wouldn't mind.. So, I think I'll turn your kind offer down."

Kate couldn't avoid a laugh. "Don't worry about the Italian, just try to copy the accent. That will do."

"Okay.. Now I have less than twenty four hours to get used to the whole Italian accent thing," Danny said not particularly amused, causing everyone to chuckle. "But you know what," he said with this smile on his lips. "I'm willing to do it, because tomorrow, I will get to see Steven J. McGarrett being a waiter."

Danny and Kono were thrilled with that and it caused Kate to smile pretty big. The only person who wasn't happy was Steve.

"How old are you?" Steve asked frowning. "Seven?"

"You can say anything, Rambo. Nothing will ruin this for me," Danny replied with a huge grin. Steve glared at him but that only made Danny's amusement grow bigger.

"Is it always like this?" Kate asked Kono. They were just watching that.

"Sometimes is worse, but overall, yeah, always like this," she said and both shared a smile.

Steve and Danny noticed that and turned to look at them with this curious eyes.

"What are you two smiling about?" Danny asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Nothing." Kate and Kono answered at the same time, resulting in some giggling.

"Okay, this is turning into a circus," Steve said to everyone. He wasn't serious. "Let's get out of here so Danny can work on his Italian side.."

"And Steve can work on his waiter skills," Danny added quite humorous.

"And tomorrow we'll be back," Steve said a little louder, staring at Danny.

It was a bit early but the four of them shut everything off, locked the Five-0 HQ and left the place. Even though the laughs they shared moments ago were still fresh in their minds, the thought of the events of the next day were sort of clouding that a little bit, especially for Kate.

**xxx**

It was shortly after 7pm when Steve parked his Chevy Silverado in his garage and got back home with dinner. They had gotten home around 6:30 and since no one felt like cooking, he went out to buy some food.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked when he walked through the front door and found Kate sitting on his couch with her laptop on her lap.

"Unwinding," Kate said putting the laptop on the coffee table to help him with the bags. "Just trying to stop thinking about tomorrow.."

Steve had taken a quick glance over her shoulder when he went inside his house; he didn't want to be nosy but that looked a lot like case files.

"Really?" he asked when they got to the kitchen. "With more work?" Steve cocked an eyebrow while looking at Kate.

"Oh, no. That was another case. It was about the Yakuza," she said with a shrug. Kate looked at Steve and, judging by the way he was staring at her, he didn't see much difference. Work is work. "When I need to have a break or stop thinking about a case, I open another case file. It helps me unwind."

Steve's expression changed from dubious to surprised. "You use case files to unwind? Who does that?" he asked amused. That was something new even to him.

"I do!" Kate protested.

"You're a workaholic," he said flashing her a half smile; she couldn't not smile back at him.

"So I've been told," she replied cheerfully.

"Well, you'll have a break from that now," Steve pulled her into a hug. "And we'll have some nice dinner."

Kate grinned and she felt her knees turning into jelly. "That sounds good.. I'm starving."

.

Unlike the night before, Steve and Kate had a pleasant dinner. Steve went out and took some Chinese food so they grabbed their boxes and went to the lanai where they ate with the sound of waves crashing on the shoreline.

Steve asked Kate why she always ended up there and she answered him it was because of everything. She would never have a view like that in DC, nor such fresh air and the sound of the water was something that she just loved. He kept his eyes on her while she was talking and he thought to himself that he would never have such beautiful view if she was still in DC.

Sure they didn't have talked about them and their current status, but Steve couldn't help but think it would be nice to have her around. She was great to work with and he really appreciated her presence there. Kate felt just the same. Every time she sat on Steve's lanai, she wondered what it would be like to live there - but it was a thought that she always managed to push back.

"So," Steve said after he had taken the remains of their dinner away. "Can I ask you a question, about the Governor's case?"

"Sure," Kate said softly.

"Chin said the HPD wrapped it up as a murder. Thanks to you, I was cleared of the charges.. You came to work on that - and on Kono's case - and it's sort of closed now, so, I assume you'll go back when we finish this case," Steve said and Kate noticed he was a little extra careful with his words.

"That wasn't exactly a question," Kate pointed when he made a pause.

"When will you leave?"

"That excited to see me far from here?" she asked playfully. Steve smiled for about two seconds and then the smile died.

"That's not what I said." Steve locked his eyes on Kate and she took a couple of long breaths before answering that.

"I don't know yet," she admitted. "I mean, Jameson's case isn't exactly closed until we get her murderer. I have Trish monitoring every single step Wo Fat takes and I won't let it go. And then there are those photos; I'm not willing to walk away, leaving that untouched. I was here, I'm part of this now so, I don't know when I'll leave," Kate said truthfully. She would not walk away on an ongoing investigation; it was not like her.

"Good," Steve said with a smile.

Kate didn't know how to respond to that; her smile felt weird and she could even feel her cheeks getting warm.

"Another question.. How did you get Kono out and with all the charges dropped?" he asked curiously. That was something that he was trying to find out for quite a long while now but his success was zero. "What did you do?"

Kate opened a grin while looking at Steve. He looked like a kid who's trying to figure out a hard puzzle - it was funny to see him like that.

"Well.. I probably shouldn't tell you," she said making a pause that served to increase Steve's curiosity. "But in any case, I learned that the man who was handling Kono's case was the same who first took Chin's. Also, I have a very dear friend who's also quite important whom I called and explained the whole thing: about Chin's accusation that proved to be wrong, the money that Kono allegedly took from the locker, the lack of evidence against her on that case, how this politician announced the money was all there.. Everything. Now, I know this isn't exactly right, but he had the authority to clear the charges, and because there were too many inconsistencies, he arranged that."

Steve didn't know what to say. That sounded like Kate. She and the many contacts she had.. "You're unbelievable," he said finally.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she replied with a smile. "But you never heard those things from me. Like I said, that's not exactly standard procedure."

Steve just nodded. If he was right - and he thought he was - that was something like personal favor, and he would never contest something that brought his team together again. He was also glad to know that she trusted him enough to tell him that.

"Something else?" she asked when Steve just sat there, watching her.

"Nothing related to it and that I can think of right now," he said simply.

"Okay.. So, I have a question for you," Kate said maybe a little too serious, because Steve straightened on his armchair.

"What is it?" he said carefully.

Kate flinched. That was a delicate question, but she knew she would have to ask it sooner or later. And if she get that off her mind, than maybe she would be able to have some rest and not keep thinking about that.

"Look.. There is no easy way to ask this, so I'll just go straight to the point," Kate said when she shifted on the armchair she was occupying in front of Steve. "I was going through the files of Jameson's case, and there are lots of things related to the Yakuza as I was expecting, judging by her connection with them.. But something else appeared on my research and I thought it was only fair enough if I asked you, directly about it before I started going further deep on this. It's about-"

"About my father," he finished her sentence. Kate just nodded; she was a little concerned about how he would take that, but Steve wasn't mad, or anything. "It's alright. I figured you'd get to that any time soon." Even though he wasn't upset, he said those words with a nervous smile. "My mother died in a car accident. At least that's what I've been told.. Turns out, it wasn't an accident. There was a bomb set in the car and it exploded when my mom was driving it, and it was Wo Fat's work.."

"I'm sorry," she whispered when Steve made a pause. Kate didn't know what she was expecting to hear but that made her bite her lower lip.

Steve looked at the woman in front of him and didn't say a word, he just smiled sympathetically at her.

"So," Kate continued cautiously. "Your father was investigating the accident and Wo Fat and he found out that the Governor was involved with the Yakuza.."

That wasn't a question and Steve slightly frowned; of course, his reaction didn't go unnoticed. "I found out that the Governor had contacts with people from the Japanese mafia and I connected the dots," Kate explained and Steve chuckled.

"You're good," he said, giving Kate his famous half smile.

"I'm not good," she replied, as amused as Steve. "I'm great."

The two of them shared a moment of laughter; it surprised Kate how they could get from something serious and end up like that. She glanced at Steve and the sight of him smiling made her stop laughing and just look at him. McGarrett wasn't like anyone she ever met. He was tough, strong, maybe a little dangerous, but he was also something else. He made her feel like she could trust him and open up, even though she always avoided that. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she pushed that thought back; inwardly she was feeling surprisingly happy, even though her heart was aching.

Kate was caught in this rollercoaster of events and, truth be told, she was sort of scared. All her life, she learned to ignore that, to not let that show, but, somehow, it was hard to do that right now, and Steve noticed that when he looked at her. She didn't exactly have her game face on, but Steve knew that something was happening.

"What else is bothering you?" he asked softly, and that made Kate blink a couple of times. It was like she was somewhere else. "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

"No. No, nothing else," she said bringing her legs up and hugging them and that made Steve leave his armchair and sit closer to her, on the small table that was in the middle of them; he knew her enough to know she did that when something wasn't alright.

"Kate.. Are you sure?" he asked in a low tone that made Kate bit her lower lip and bring her legs closer to her chest.

"Yes, it's just.. I'm just.." Kate's head dropped and her forehead touched her knees. "I'm worried." She had no idea why she said that out loud but it happened, and she just couldn't stop after that. "Actually I'm worried sick. I told Cahill it wasn't about the past but I can't stop thinking how badly things ended."

Steve noticed how close to the edge she was. He could see how she was fighting to keep the appearances and that was something that hit him so hard.

"Come here," he said reaching for her hands. Kate put up some resistance, but Steve didn't give up. "Come on.."

Eventually, Kate surrender and let Steve pull her closer so she was now sitting on his lap while he had his arms locked around her waist.

"Look, I know this is hard, but.. Stop thinking about the past," Steve said brushing a strand of hair from her face. "It won't happen again."

Kate's head dropped. "Steve you don't kn-" She didn't go any further; the moment she raised her head to tell Steve he couldn't possibly know that, he silenced her placing a finger on her lips.

"Neither do you," he said simply. Steve didn't want to argue with her because he already felt like the things between them weren't exactly alright. "Kate, I know you're worried. I can see it in your eyes right now. But everyone is feeling just the same. Maybe not as strongly as you are, but every case we take, we know there are risks, and you should know that any of us could get hurt and that includes you. How do you think it'll make us feel? So, please, stop thinking about it. Please."

Without notice, Kate held her breath throughout Steve's unexpected speech. That didn't sound like the Steve she knew, but he had a point. More than once Kate was told she rarely thought about herself and it never affected her before. In her mind, she should keep other's safety in the first place, but there was something in Steve's voice that suggested that he was worried about her, and that got her breathless.

"You're right. I'm sorry," she said after a minute of silence. "I'll stop now."

Then, to Steve's surprise, Kate cupped his face with both hands and leaned forward for a kiss.

At that moment, Kate didn't want to be the tough and independent girl she learned so perfectly to be, she didn't want to handle everything alone - not when she didn't need to. Steve was there, and when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer so she could feel his heart pounding as strongly as hers, she threw everything she had already learned out of the window.

At that moment, Steve felt like nothing happened. Nothing. No ghosts from Kate's past returning to haunt her, no Interpol Agents returning to make her - and his - life miserable. Nothing. Just the sweetness of her lips and the softness of her tongue dancing with his while his hands traveled down her spine until he found its way to the familiar small of her back.

Kate gave in to the pleasure. The slow dance of their tongues increased its velocity until the point where that wasn't enough.

She let out a soft moan that made Steve shiver. He brought his hands back to her face and broke the kiss for just a second. Looking deep in her eyes, he found her again. The Kate he knew was still there, and her eyes were deep with lust and passion.

Her breathing was out of control, just like the rest of her body. When Steve removed his lips from hers, she sighed in frustration. She wanted him. Needed him. And when she looked at him, she knew right there he felt just the same.

"Where is your phone?" Kate asked, gasping for air.

"What? Why do you w-"

"Where is the goddamned phone?" she interrupted him annoyed.

Steve arched his eyebrows to that, but pulled his phone out of the pocket of his pants and, before he could hand it to her, she took it from his hands and turned it off.

"What.." Steve was more than a little confused.

"Just being sure," Kate whispered before pulling Steve for another deep kiss. Their lips met once again and she was on fire.

"Steve.." Her whisper sounded like a plea and it crawled under his skin, teasing every single cell of his body.

Steve took her in his arms and walked her upstairs; their lips practically glued together. Somehow, he managed to open the door to his bedroom without letting go of the woman he was holding onto like for dear life.

Once they were inside, he closed the door loudly, put her back on her feet and pinned her to the wall. She whimpered when her hot body met the cold of Steve's bedroom wall.

"You alright?" he asked when her body arched. His voice was low, deep and husky she felt like it was crawling into her bones.

"Brilliant," she replied quickly, moving forward to try to have those lips back on hers.

Steve noticed that not so subtle movement and smirked. Teasing her, he drew his head a little further from her and he gained one of her looks; the kind of look that, if it could kill, he wouldn't stand a chance.

"Two can play that game, Steven." He felt his whole body tingle when she used his name, not his sort of nickname.

"True that," he said still smiling. "But I have leverage." Steve had her hands on his in a heartbeat and, just as fast, they were above her head and he was stopping her from move them.

He drew his face closer to hers and teased her, running the tip of his tongue through her red and swollen lips. She tried to capture his mouth on hers but every time she tried, he moved his head away. At every failed attempt, she sighed heavily.

"Alright.. You asked for it, Steven," Kate hissed. Then, she cocked an eyebrow and moved one leg further, rubbing it all over his tight.

Even though it was making his knees turn into jelly, Steve managed to stand still. "Is that everything you can do?" he teased her, nibbling her earlobe.

Kate moaned. Loudly. And she got the response she was expecting; Steve groaned and she could feel he was getting hard inside his pants.

"No. That's not even a start.." Kate decided that the way she purred on his ear wasn't enough. Tiptoeing, she brushed her body against Steve's, and she heard him growl.

She laughed when he let go of her hands, closed his arms around her waist and, with one soft movement, he had Kate with her back on his bed.

"I think I underestimated you, Mrs. Federal Agent," Steve grinned while kissing her.

"You sure did," she said pushing him away. Without a warning, she gripped his arms and rolled on bed so he was the one lying on the bed while she straddle on top of him.

With a mischievous grin, Kate got rid of the black tank top she was wearing, allowing Steve to have a look at her navy blue lacy bra; the contrast with her white skin was overwhelming. "And it's Miss."

She leaned forward and kissed him eagerly. Her hands find its way south very quickly. Why he had to wear those cargo pants all the time?

She worked his button and fly so fast she didn't believe it - nor Steve. Just as quickly as she moved, he released her from her skinny jeans. Breaking the kiss for a split second, Steve took his shirt off and they were both wearing nothing but underwear.

Steve slid a hand around her waist and, rolling with her, he brought her a little further up on his bed. Their eyes were locked and their breathing was heavy. The cold of his sheets showed Kate how hot she was; she wanted him so badly.

"Steve.."

Her voice sounded like anything he heard before. The way she was saying his name was making him want her more than ever.

His hands made its way to the clasp of her bra and Kate arched her back just enough so he could undo it and get it off, along with her lacy panties that were a match to the other piece of lingerie but Steve barely noticed that detail.

Kate propped up on her elbows and remained silently while Steve was standing on the end of his bed, just looking at the woman in front of him; even with the "little scratch" on her abdomen, the view was breathtaking.

"God, you're so beautiful," he whispered making Kate smile.

"That's lovely.. But will you stand there, looking or you'll come over here so we can have some _fun_?" Kate ran her right foot through her left leg, from her toes up to her knee while managing to say fun so seductively that her lips ended up slightly open.

Steve grinned big when he heard that and didn't wait for a formal invitation. One second he was looking at her, the next one, they were entangled again. Kate whined when Steve's lips left hers, but she giggled when he kissed a trail down her neck to her collarbone, and then she moaned in pleasure when he reached her breasts. Kate's thoughts went numb when she felt his tongue and quite skilled hands playing with her sensitive nipples.

Then, while making his way down her flat abdomen, Steve took a second to look at Kate. Her breathing was heavy and he could practically feel the heat and desire coming from her body.

"Are we having fun yet?" he asked sensually, his eyes locked with Kate's.

Steve never saw it coming, but, one second he was between her legs, the next, she was again on top of him.

"Not even close, my dear."

Kate's voice was so full of lust that Steve instinctively reached for her face. He needed that woman so badly it was causing him physical pain. It was like he wanted and more at every second.

Steve's hands never reached her face; instead, Kate managed to stop them and hold them right above his head, exactly like he did moments ago.

"Remember when I told you that there would be payback?" Kate whispered, her eyes were locked on Steve's and her lips weren't inches away. "Well, guess what? It's here," she said with a mischievous grin. Steve wasn't exactly the submissive type of guy in bed, but the way she say those words, so husky and deep made him thought he had never been more aroused.

"Really?" he growled back at her. The half smile on his face seemed to be permanent. "What makes you think I'll simply agree to that?"

Kate just cocked an eyebrow at him and, before he could think about doing something, she brought her knee up so it was resting right in between Steve's legs. And when she shifted her weight, causing it to move from side to side, the friction caused by his black boxers made Steve shut his eyes closed.

That was quite a poor play, but it gave Kate the exact amount of time for her to hold his hands using just one of her own while the other made its way south.

Steve's eyes snapped open when he felt her hands touching his aching erection, through the fabric of his underwear.

"I think that answers your question, don't you think?" Kate said with a huge smile on her face. Steve knew she was having so much fun with that.

He tried to make a move but stopped when she ran her hands up and down, all over his length.

"Ka-Kate.." Steve just couldn't keep his voice steady and it made the smile on her face grow bigger.

"Yes, m'darling?" Kate said using an innocent voice that made Steve swallow hard. "Relax, Steven," she whispered on his ear while her finger slid underneath the waistband. "I'm fairly certain that you'll enjoy it better if you just relax."

Kate nibbled his earlobe at the same time she brought his boxers down with two not so smooth movements, and then completely off his body with the assistance of her feet. Steve gasped when he felt the fabric brushing not so gently against his throbbing member.

"Sorry about that," Kate purred on his ear while taking him on her hands. "I'll make it up to you, I promise." Leaning down for a kiss, she let go of his wrists to hold one of his hands on hers, while her free hand started to move up and down while her thumb brushed the tip of his aching erection.

"Kate," he said; his voice low and shaky. He used his free hand to stop her. "You need to stop. Now."

"That desperate?" she asked with a devilish yet very sexy grin.

"You have no idea."

Steve rolled on his bed again. It was quite a fight the one she put up, but right now, it wasn't about winners or losers - there would never be a winner or a loser to that.

Kissing her passionately, Steve caressed her tights for a short while before sliding one finger on her opening, just to know if she was ready.

"That desperate, huh?" he asked when she arched her back and let out a loud moan. She was more than ready and more than desperate for him.

"You have no idea," she growled in response while wrapping her legs around his waist.

Steve brought her up so they were sitting on the bed. Kate locked her arms around his neck. He kissed her deeply before pulling her just a little bit back so he could look Kate in the eyes while he slid all the way into her.

He never broke eye contact, but Kate couldn't hold it when she felt Steve filling her. She threw her head back and tried to hold back a cry but she failed. Epic proportions.

Giving her a moment, Steve kissed her neck, on the exact same spot he could see and feel the blood pumping furiously through her veins. "You okay?" he asked softly.

"Brilliant," she answered in between breaths. She was holding onto Steve like her life depended on it. He stood still, waiting for her to adjust to his size, but after a few seconds, Kate needed more.

She started to move and quickly, Steve followed her. Their pace was slow at first but it increased quite fast, and at every thrust, every kiss, every brush of Steve's fingers on her cheeks and neck and back, Kate knew she was in for the long haul.

"Steve.." God damn, was that her? Was that really her voice?

"Yeah?" he asked bluntly. Steve was damn close and he could feel that so was Kate. Her walls were clenching around him, encouraging Steve to speed up.

"Harder.. Oh, god! Harder!"

Looking deep in his eyes, Kate couldn't see past his beautiful eyes that were now turned into a tone of deep blue and she felt that she was getting hotter and hotter by the second.

Steve could see how close she was, and he could feel he wouldn't last longer either so he slowly laid Kate on his bed and his right hand that was prior holding her, find its way to her clit and his thumb brushed against it describing circles. Kate gasped and her hands turned into fists as she held the sheets on her firm grip.

"Look at me," Steve told Kate but she didn't seem to hear. "Look at me, _Arizona_."

Kate could barely think, much less hear anything; the blood was pumping loudly on her ears and she felt like she would explode any second now, but, somehow, she heard when Steve called her that. When he called her Arizona.

"I want to see you come. I want you to scream my name. Look at me."

Forcing herself to look at Steve, she managed to hold the eye contact for a few seconds until her body couldn't hold it any longer and she felt her orgasm hit her while she screamed Steve's name, exactly like he, not exactly asked.

Hearing his name being hoarse and feeling the heat come from Kate's wet entrance sent Steve over the edge and he found his release shortly after Kate's and her name was the last thing that came out of his mouth before he let his drained body fall on top of her.

Still feeling a little light-headed, Steve found some strength to bring himself up so he could lay down by Kate's side and not on top of her, where he could suffocate her, but he was stopped when she wrapped her weak arms around his waist.

"No. Stay." Kate's voice wasn't louder than a whisper and it sounded pretty weak, but when Steve looked at her, he could see her eyes and they were incredibly soft and inviting and she had this gorgeous smile bringing light to her face. "I can take it."

That alone made Steve feel almost brand new. "I'm sure you can," he said smiling back, but he didn't stay. Instead, he lay on his bed and pulled Kate closer to him. She wrapped her arms around Steve's wais and rested her head on his chest while he caressed her back.

"I'm sure you can handle anything," Steve said using a finger to raise her head up so she could look at him. He gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. "But just because you can, doesn't mean you have to," he added, leaning to steal a kiss from her red, swollen and incredibly sweet lips.

. . .

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><p><strong>AN:**_ Howdy people! So, that was it. It took me a while but well, things are now happening, in anyway that it's possible. In any case, I've never wrote smut in my life so this was challenging, not to mention that for the most part of the time I wasn't sure of anything. I don't know what you people think but feel free to PM me or whatever.  
><em>

_ **Mahalo nui loa** to everyone who's still with me! And there's a review button if you feel like sharing what you think. Bye for now :)_


	30. Chapter 30

**Aloha everyone!**

**First of all, thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter! It was challenging to write it but I'm glad it wasn't disappointing :) Also, thanks everyone who's still with me. You guys are fantastic!**

**So, here's another chapter and, like always, I hope you enjoy! Feedback is highly appreciated :)**

* * *

><p>Since Kate turned Steve's phone off the night before and no one set the alarm clock, they overslept just a little bit - Kate more that Steve. When she finally woke up the next morning, she found the bed empty.<p>

"Steve?"

Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands, Kate scanned the room, looking for Steve when she heard a sound coming from downstairs. Her Agent instincts kicked in and she jumped out of bed in one smooth movement, grabbed Steve's T-shirt that was still lying on the floor, took her revolver that was in her luggage and, quietly and stealthy, she went downstairs.

"Steve?" Kate called him again and, this time, there was an answer.

"I'm here!"

She let out a relieved sigh; he was in the kitchen. Leaving her gun on the table, she went meeting with him.

"Oh my, this smell is delicious," she said as soon as she walked into the kitchen to the smell of fresh coffee.

"Thank you," Steve said wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Kate smirked at him while sliding her arms around his waist. Steve was wearing just his standard cargo pants so she had full access to his naked torso. "You know," she whispered while her hands ran up and down his back. "I was talking about the coffee," she said with a playful smile.

"You know," Steve replied, tightening the hug. "I am hurt," he said kissing her neck and making Kate giggle.

"Oh, please, stop. Stop!" Kate pushed Steve a little further so she could look in his eyes. "You smell good too.. but I like how you taste better," she added shortly after throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him full on the mouth.

"Nice save," Steve whispered against her lips.

"I know right? I'm quite proud of it," she replied with a smirk, pressing their bodies closer.

Kate couldn't help the heat taking over her body. Last night's events were still quite vivid in her head so it was impossible not to allow her thoughts to wander.. and she had a few things in mind when they heard the front door opening. Kate let go of Steve in a heartbeat and, after exchanging a concern look with him and cursing her entire existence for leaving her gun on the table right outside the kitchen, she ran to retrieve it.

Kate had just reached her silver revolver and was ready to fire when her eyes landed on the intruder.

"Woah! Would you, please, put that thing down," Danny said with his both hands in the air.

Steve was by Kate's side. When he heard the door opening, he was highly alert, but when he saw Danny and Kate aiming that huge revolver to him, he reached for her hand to make her put that down. It wasn't necessary because she lowered that as soon as she recognized the blonde detective.

"Please, I don't feel comfortable having a gun pointed to my face."

Kate was as shocked as Danny; not to mention she was getting a little hysterical. "For God's sake, Danny! What the hell?"

"What the hell?" Danny asked; his voice was as loud as Kate's. "I ask **you** what the hell? Why do you have this - enormous revolver?"

"Danny, I could've killed you! What were you thinking?"

"Killed me? You could have pulverized me from Earth with that thing!"

Steve just watched as the two of them had that highly amusing conversation. It wasn't funny to see Kate pointing that S&M at Danny but that - the hysterical "conversation" between them, that was hilarious.

"How on Earth you got in?" Kate asked exasperated, pointing the front door. "That door was locked!"

"I asked the same thing when it first happened," said Steve, jumping in that conversation for the first time. "He doesn't knock. Never. But hopefully, that'll make him change his mind." Then, turning to face his partner, he asked calmly. "So, what happened? What brings you here?"

"I tried to call you. A thousand times! And when it all went to voice mail, I thought I'd check on you," he explained like that was the most obvious thing in the universe. Danny's eyes went from Steve, then to Kate and finally back to Steve. "But, of course, you two are perfectly fine, so, I'll just.." He was already on his way to the door when he stopped and turned to look at Kate and Steve once again. "When you two lovebirds have some free time, I'd suggest you to come to the HQ," Danny said and Kate felt like if the Earth opened under her feet and she was swallowed, that wouldn't be bad. "Cahill said he wants to talk to you," he added looking at Steve.

"He's in the HQ?" Steve wasn't the least bit content with the thought of Christopher Cahill in his work place while he wasn't there.

"No," Danny said with a wave of his hand. "He called."

"Okay.. we'll be there in a few," Steve promised and Danny just nodded before disappearing through the front doors, leaving Kate and Steve alone with their thoughts.

"Why he wants to talk to you?" Kate's tone was a somewhat darker than the usual.

"Honestly? I have no idea," Steve admitted. He was as surprised as Kate after hearing Danny's words. "But we'll figure it out in a few."

"Actually, I was thinking about not going," Kate said shyly; Steve glanced at her with curious eyes. "Danny said he wants to talk to you, not me. And since I'm gonna spend the whole night with him.. I just want to avoid any the unnecessary drama that might come," she admitted. "You go and, whatever happens, you tell me later, how about that?"

Steve didn't understand what was going through her mind or why she was choosing to step aside now and like that, but he couldn't say that her motives weren't solid. They were about to walk into a place with more enemies than allies and any tense situation between Kate and Cahill could be slightly dangerous, to say the least.

"Okay," he said in agreement to what she said. Steve could tell that she was getting nervous; her shoulders were rigid, her posture was strict, she was clenching her jaw and he could see her eyes were different, maybe a little distant. "Alright, don't worry. I'll figure this thing out and I'll be back, I promise," he said pulling her into a hug.

Kate slid her arms around Steve's wais once again and rested her head on his shoulder. They stood there, without move, without say a word, just holding onto each other for a minute or so until Kate loosened the embrace and let go of Steve. When she took a tiny step back, he could see the turmoil in her eyes; her grey eyes were darker and so deep that Steve held his breath unconsciously for a second.

"You should go get ready," Kate said in a low tone. "You told Danny you would be there, so.."

Steve studied Kate; she was starting to show clear signs of tiredness. If it was any other occasion, Steve would say "finally", because he never met someone who could put up with a lot and never show, but that wasn't the case. He knew it was because of tonight.

"Kate.."

"Go," she insisted, taking a deep breath and, shaking her head a couple of times, there she was - tough Kate was back. "I'll be fine."

Steve glanced at her while she simply walked to the kitchen to get herself a mug of coffee. He just wished they finished that crap sooner rather than later, otherwise he didn't know what it would do to her.

Shaking his head in resignation, Steve went back upstairs, took some clothes and went for a shower.

.

Kate stood there in the kitchen until she heard the sound of a shower upstairs. She needed to get her shit together if she wanted to make things work and she was really not willing to spend more time with Cahill than the strict necessary.

Taking her mug and filling a second one to Steve, she returned to his bedroom.

"Hey," she said when he walked out of the bathroom wearing a black pair of cargo pants. "Here. Your coffee."

Steve took that and reached for her with his free hand.

"Hey.. You'll be alright?"

"I told you I'll be fine, don't worry about me," she said running her fingers through his wet hair and placing a soft kiss on his lips.

"Last time you said that, I found out two days later that you were shot," Steve said, his expression was indecipherable yet so beautiful that made her smile.

"I told you that that wouldn't happen again," she said amused; sadly, that wasn't mutual. "Stop frowning," Kate said cupping his face with her hands. "I'll give you wrinkles and make you look like a raisin."

Now Steve chuckled. Sometimes, Kate had a way to make him laugh and that was effortless and Steve found himself wondering how on Earth that was possible.

"That's way better," she said when he gave up on the frown. "Now, seriously, go. I'll be alright."

Steve finished his coffee and put his blue T-shirt. Theoretically, he was ready to another day at the office.

Along with Kate, Steve went back downstairs so he could go to the HQ.

"Call me if you need anything," he said before leaving.

"Will do," Kate promised. And when Steve stopped by his truck and glanced at her, she thought that she looked like a housewife saying goodbye to the husband that goes to work. Kinda odd, a bit awkward, but surprisingly alright.

**xxx**

About twenty five minutes after Danny left his place, Steve got to the Five-0 headquarters. As he was already expecting, everyone was there - including Chin.

"Hey boss, what happened?" Kono asked quite cheerfully. "The alarm clock didn't work?"

Steve didn't answer that right away because when she mentioned alarm clock, somehow, it reminded him of his phone that was still off. "Yeah, it didn't work," he muttered while taking his cell phone out of his pocket where Kate had put it before he left and turning it on. He then found out it was already 8:57am.

"Wait a minute," Danny said, his eyes scanning the room. "Where's Kate?"

"Not coming," Steve answered calmly, ignoring the three pair of eyes that landed on him, waiting for more than that _'not coming'_.

"What do you mean by 'not coming'? Why she's not coming? I just spoke with you two!" Danny said irritated. "What did you do?"

Steve looked at Danny more than a little annoyed. "Why do you think I did something?" He asked but didn't exactly wait for an answer. "She decided not to come because she doesn't want to risk any conflicts with Cahill."

"Makes sense," Chin said and, even Danny agreed with that.

"Okay, so. I gotta call our dear friend.. Christopher Cahill." The animosity in Steve's voice was more than a little evident.

**xxx**

Kate's choice to take a step back proved to be not as good as it seemed to be in the first place. The house was dead silent and it gave her too much room to think. She was about to take her laptop to keep her mind busy when her phone rang.

"Taylor."

_"Oh. My. God. Finally!" _Kate recognized that voice instantly - it was Trish - and there was an urgency in the tone she was using. _"I've been trying to talk to you since yesterday woman! What the hell happened?" _Kate opened her mouth to answer to her question but Trish didn't wait for her answer. _"Okay, never mind, we can go back to that later. Now, I have three things for you and two are really urgent."_

Kate was starting to get seriously concerned. Trish was usually quite calm and when she started to freak out like that, she knew it should be damn important.

"Go ahead," Kate said, grabbing her laptop to check whatever it was that she had.

_"First of all, Wo Fat. He's leaving the Island."_

"What?" Kate almost let the laptop she had on her lap fall on the ground. "When?"

_"He booked a ticket to Japan yesterday and his flight leaves today,"_ Trish informed. _"The flight will departure from the LAX, but he has a private plane that will fly him there and according to the information I have, that plane leaves in about eighty minutes."_

"Crap!" Putting the laptop back on the coffee table, Kate ran upstairs to change. She couldn't let him get on that plane. She couldn't let Wo Fat escape. "Okay, what else?"

_"Right. Fabian Ashcroft is on his way to Hawaii,"_ Trish blurted and Kate froze. She didn't say a word for fifteen long seconds so Trish spoke again. _"I don't know if you recall but Ashcr-"_

"Yeah, Trish," she interrupted the TA as she picked the first clothes her hands touched in her luggage. "I remember it." Ashcroft was the surname of the man she had to protect in Australia. He had died a couple of years back; Fabian was his son. "When he's coming?"

_"Saturday."_

Tomorrow. That was terrific. Kate had put her phone on the speaker so she could change faster.

"Why he's coming to Hawaii anyways?"

_"He graduated from college and the trip is to celebrate it I suppose. Thing is, it's been two weeks since it was arranged and he's been receiving threats ever since. He'll have a bunch of security guards with him, but I thought it was relevant because the messages, they are just like the ones his father received before he went to Australia."_

Kate sighed. That was everything she needed in her life: to prevent another international incident, because, even though Fabian's father died, his mother was still a great name in the fashion industry and now, she was trying to get into the political world. Just peachy.

"Trish, is Mrs. Ashcroft coming to Hawaii?"

_"No, only her son."_

That was a relief, but a very tiny one and Kate could barely enjoy it.

"Okay. Trish, I need you to do me a favor," she said already on her way out of Steve's house. "Call Kono and tell her exactly what you told me about Fabian Ashcroft."

_"Sure, but there's something else that I found out.."_

Kate remembered she said she had three things, but only two were urgent.

"Is it deadly important?" she asked already inside her car and turning the engine on.

_"Not deadly, but-"_

"So it'll have to wait Trish, because I have a little over an hour to find a way to stop Wo Fat or the flight and I have no idea how to pull up something like that so I really can't have anything else in mind," Kate said urgently. "Please, tell Kono what you told me."

_"Alright, I'll do it. Be careful!"_

"Talk to you later."

Kate disconnected the phone call and pulled her car out of Steve's driveway, leaving burn marks from her tire on the ground. She didn't have time to waste and she'd need to have one goddamned brilliant idea quite fast.

**xxx**

As Steve learned after making the phone call, Cahill wanted to discuss security measures for that night. He was actually expecting something like that, after all, the Interpol also had high interests towards the subject of that investigation. So, because of that, Cahill was back to the Five-0 headquarters.

"Sounds like you have it all planned," Cahill said after hearing what Steve told him.

Of course he missed the part where Kate would have him on close detail, but he told him how they'd operate. Get in, try to find out what their plans were and leave. They would probably be in small number so any attempts of pulling something bigger than that would be too risky.

"We do," Kono said politely. She and Chin seemed to be the only people in that room who weren't addressing deadly looks at Cahill every now and then.

"It's nice and functional. I think it'll work."

"We think so too," Steve spoke to Cahill; his body language, like always, showed him he wasn't up for any games. "And I hope you don't mess it."

"We're on the same side, Lieutenant. We have the same interests." Cahill held Steve's gaze the entire time. That room could be Steve's element, but Cahill had quite a strong personality himself and, since they would get into the nest of beasts pretty soon, he was also feeling the rush of adrenaline fill his veins. "I want to end this as soon as possible and without any losses. I'm not gonna go for unnecessary risks. Not when I have people I care about in the middle."

Steve cocked an eyebrow while looking at the tall blonde man in front of him. He knew Cahill was talking about Kate - and he didn't like that.

"Good to know. So, let's work to get everything we need so we can end this case," Steve said and then added in his head: _"and you can go away and we never have to see your face again."_

"I'm all for that," Cahill said with a polite nod. The way he could hold his politeness was unnerving on Steve's opinion. More and more he wished he could just wipe away that cocky attitude of his.

They had just reached some sort of settlement when Kono's phone rang and the incoming call was from an unknown number.

"Kalakaua."

_"Hey, it's Trish. Can you talk?"_

Kono's expression eased when she recognized the voice. "Hey Trish, sure I can talk. What's up?"

Hearing the name of Kate's TA, Danny and Steve immediately turned to face Kono; Chin and Cahill did just the same but they were clueless about that Trish person.

_"It's about the case you get there, the Aussies. I have something for you."_

"Hold on," she said seriously and Trish muttered a _'yeah'_. "Boss, can I have a word?" Kono asked and, with a not so subtle move of her head, she signaled him it was private.

"Sure," Steve said, joining Kono a few steps away from everyone.

"Trish says she has something about the Australians," she said in a low tone so the others couldn't hear it. She was unsure about Cahill's presence there, especially with all that tension going on between him and Steve.

"Give me the phone," he asked and Kono handed it to him. "Trish, this is Steve McGarrett."

_"Oh, hi Commander. So, uh- okay. Fabian Ashcroft is coming to Hawaii.."_

"Who the hell is Fabian Ashcroft?" he asked before she could explain.

_"I was about to tell you that,"_ she replied just a little annoyed and Steve noticed that; he didn't say anything though. _"Fabian Ashcroft is the only son of the man that Kate had to provide protection in Australia, 2005."_

"Wait, go back. The man Kate was assigned to protect in Australia, seven years ago, have a son and he's coming to Hawaii where the Australians are somehow all over the place?"

_"That is correct. You also might want to know that he has been receiving some pretty bad threats regarding of that matter and still, his trip was not cancelled."_

Steve ran his hand through his face. "When he's coming?"

_"Tomorrow."_

In a matter of seconds, Steve's expression went from unhappy to shocked. "Tomorrow? Are you serious?"

_"As a heart attack."_

Steve's brain was working so fast that he couldn't keep up with that. "Can you arrange a video call?" he asked going back to where everyone was standing. Everyone needed to hear that - even Cahill.

_"Yes, sir. Just.. give me.. one.. second."_

At that precise moment, the request popped on the screen and Steve accepted it and Trish image appeared to everyone.

"Oh," she whispered when she got a view of the room. "New people."

"These are Chin Ho Kelly and Christopher Cahill," Kono said indicating her cousin and the Interpol Agent.

"Hi there," the redhead said with a smile.

Chin and Cahill just said a quick 'hi' in response before Steve spoke again and in quite a rush.

"Trish, I need you to repeat what you just told me. Everything, please."

With a nod, Trish repeated her words and told everyone about Fabian's trip plans.

Cahill, just like Kate, instantly recognized the surname, and he assisted Trish with her explanation on his background, origins and why that was an important information.

Somewhere in the middle, Chin's phone rang and he excused himself to answer that, while everyone went bananas when Trish told them about the threats, and how they were similar from the ones his father received before going to Australia.

"He's aware of the fact that people are willing to hurt him and he's still coming? I guess stupidity runs in the family," Danny said sarcastically.

"Why the Interpol wasn't alerted?" Cahill asked with a huge frown.

"He has about six bodyguards with him," Trish explained. "I guess he thinks he's safe? I don't know.."

"Six bodyguards? We had almost ten times more people to protect his father and he almost died!" Cahill's reaction matched Kate's in terms of astonishment. They could not believe it was really happening again.

"You said he'll arrive tomorrow," Kono spoke and she was most likely the calmest person. "You know what time?"

"His flight is set to arrive at 3:45pm," Trish informed.

"Unbelievable," Cahill said running his fingers through his hair and pacing around a little. "Where is Kate after all? Why she isn't here?"

.

Chin walked towards the door to answer his phone. He knew from the caller ID that it was Kate, but he didn't want to interrupt what Trish was saying because that was important information.

"Kate?"

_"Chin, hey.. Listen, I'm on my way to the airport and I need backup."_

Chin frowned. Kate was speaking too fast and she sounded incredibly distraught. "Wait, Kate. What's going on? Why are going to the airport and why you need backup?"

_"Wo Fat is gonna try to leave Oahu and I need to stop it, but I'm alone right now so I need your help. I need you to send a car to the airport. Please."_

Chin felt his stomach disappearing. Was that true? "How do you know that?"

_"I just know! Please Chin. I don't have much time!"_

"Alright, I'll request two cars," Chin told her. He was afraid that something happened to her if she get there alone. "What's your plan?"

_"Still working on it,"_ she said and that answer made him shiver._ "Thanks for your help, Chin. Talk to you later."_

Chin was about to say something but Kate hang up. Damn.. Steve would have a heart attack when he hear about that. Quickly calling his precinct, he dispatched two vehicles to the airport.

He had just gotten closer to the group when he heard Cahill asking about Kate.

"I know where she is," Chin said joining them once again and making everyone turn to look at him. "Kate just called me requesting backup. She said she's going to the airport."

Steve frowned. "Why the hell she's going to the airport?"

Chin's eyes met Steve's and he didn't say a word for a few seconds while he studied his posture. "Because of Wo Fat."

Steve's eyes widened instantly. "What?"

"Wo Fat is booked on a flight that's going to Japan and," Trish said, jumping in the middle of that conversation and drawing Steve's attention, along with everyone else. "Kate asked me to keep tabs on Wo Fat," she explained when it was obvious that they were waiting for more. "So I did.."

"And now she knows it and is going to try to stop him from leaving the island," Steve blurted. "Danny, I need your car!" He would get to the airport faster with the Camaro instead of his truck.

"I'm coming with you," Danny said and tossed him the keys as the two of them ran out of the building.

Before Chin and Kono could follow them, Cahill stopped them by asking "who the hell is Wo Fat?"

"Wo Fat is the main suspect of an on-going investigation," Chin explained briefly.

"Alright, and Kate is after him because...?"

"Because she's working on it," Kono said slightly annoyed. She wanted to just follow Steve and Danny; Trish was gone but they still had Cahill - and was seriously on the way. "Now, about this case, we're done for now so you can go," she said nodding towards the door.

As soon as Cahill left the HQ, Kono and Chin finally were able to follow Steve and Danny; Wo Fat was dangerous, and no one wanted to think what could happen to Kate if she got to him alone.

. . .

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><p><em><strong>Mahalo nui loa<strong> to everyone who's still with me! And there's a review button if you feel like sharing what you think. Bye for now :)_


	31. Chapter 31

**Aloha!**

**Thank you everyone who's reading this, has reviewed, favorited and/or alerted this story so far! You guys are super duper über awesome! And _huge_ thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! Thank you so much! You are great and I appreciate every single one of you.**

**So, here we are again.. another chapter and I sure hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>By the time Kate put her phone aside after talking to Chin, she was already at the Honolulu Airport; killing the engine of her vehicle, she literally ran through the doors. Now, she had less than an hour to stop Wo Fat's plane.<p>

Kate had it all sort of planned in her head; she would find Wo Fat and take him in custody under the first accusation that she could think about. She didn't actually have many accusations, but that wouldn't keep her from achieving her goal. Wo Fat could sue her ass after that, hell, he could even put a prize on her head, she didn't mind - she just needed to not let him leave the country. But there was something she was not expecting; the airport was crowded.

"Damn!" Kate scanned the large lobby as cautiously as she could, but she didn't find a hint of the guy. Actually the only thing she got from that was that now she had fifty five minutes left. Not much in her opinion, and she wished the HPD officers would get there soon so they could help her.

Finally leaving that area, Kate ran her way to the waiting area for boarding. Flashing her badge so she could walk in, Kate found herself looking for any glance of Wo Fat there but again, she got nothing.

Kate was wasting so much time in that blind search that wasn't taking her much far, and time could not be wasted. She still didn't have the HPD backup that she requested Chin, but then again, she wasn't exactly paying attention to cops walking around. Kate had a target, and he was somewhere in that airport, she just needed to work a little harder to find him.

She stopped on her tracks and cursed her entire existence for walking around like a fool. Making a sudden turn, Kate found herself running to get to the control tower. It wouldn't be easy and she was pretty sure she was about to break some laws but that was the last thing she had in mind. Also, during that frenzy search, Kate had completely forgotten about her phone and she never noticed she missed about three calls from Steve.

**xxx**

"She's still not answering," Danny informed Steve for the third time, making him curse like a sailor while punching on the steering wheel.

If there was something that he hated about Kate was her lack of fear, sense, judgment, whatever. How that woman just threw herself into situations was unnerving and Steve found himself worrying over that more than just once. She was fabulous and pretty great, but also a pain in the ass sometimes. "Call the airport security," Steve told Danny sharply. "I don't care what you'll say but no plans can take-off."

Danny did as he was told and made the phone call when Steve drove into the airport parking lot. He spotted Kate's car in front of the entrance and also two police cars that had just arrived; he could still see the back last HPD Officer walking into the airport.

"Hold on," Steve said before making an abrupt turn, followed by a very unexpected acceleration so he finally killed the engine of Danny's Camaro right behind the white car that belonged to the Honolulu Police Department.

"I seriously need to get a life insurance," Danny muttered as he jumped out of the car and followed Steve who was already running into the building.

.

Kate got to the control tower rather quickly and with fewer obstacles than she was expecting.

"The next private flight to take-off, which one is it?"

As she was expecting, it was a small aircraft that, according to the information he had, had the LAX as its final destination. It was most definitely Wo Fat.

"Which aircraft is it?" Kate asked the same man that gave her the information. "I need you to point me which one is the o-" She had shifted her eyes to the runway and, even though she was far as hell, she could see three people walking straight to a small plane; it was also the same aircraft the man was pointing.

"Do not let that plane take-off, you hear me. DO NOT LET IT GO!" Kate shouted and the old guy just watched as she left almost as fast as she appeared.

Willingly ditching the elevator, Kate went straight to the stairs, glad that she was wearing boots instead of heels. She would get downstairs faster, but that wasn't very comforting - she still had zero backup.

Once she was on solid ground again, she fished for her phone on the side pocket of her pants and found out that Steve called her quite a few times. He would kill her later, but she ignored the missed calls and called Chin instead.

"C'mon.. pick up, pick up.."

.

Steve reached the four HPD Officers less when they stopped less than three yards from the entrance door. And he could understand why - so many people.

"Hey, Officer," he said talking to the closest, and apparently oldest Officer. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett from Five-0. Lieutenant Kelly sent you here?"

"Yes, sir.," the guy answered with a nod. "He told us to find Agent Taylor, FBI, but, as you can see.." He indicated what Steve had already noticed. Finding Kate would be a little complicated.

"Do you know who she is?" he asked and, while two of them knew who she was, two didn't. Going through his phone, he found a picture of the FBI Agent on his phone and showed them. "Okay. This is Agent Catherine Taylor. Now let's split up in pairs so we can find her fast. You," he said to the youngest of all four. "I'm gonna need your radio. If anyone find her, call me immediately, do you understand?" They just nodded while muttering a_'yes, sir.'_. "Okay. Go."

The four of them took two different directions leaving Steve and Danny where alone.

"C'mon. Let's go this way," Steve said nodding towards the opposite direction. They were about to head there when Chin and Kono appeared through the doors. "Hey," Steve called and the two cousins turned to look at his direction. "Place is a little crowded today so here it is, the people you sent from HPD, they're looking for Kate there and there," Steve pointed the two directions they took on his right. "They'll call on the radio if they find her. Now, me and Danny will take the waiting areas on the left, so, you and Kono can check upstairs, okay?"

Kono and Chin nodded in synchrony. "If we find anything we'll call you on your phone," Kono said and just as fast, they were already on their way to the first floor while Steve and Danny stayed down there, searching for Kate.

"So," Danny said when they slowed the pace to have a better look at the crowd. "A picture of Kate on your phone.."

"Could you focus on what's important here, Danno?"

"I'm just saying.." Danny whispered through his teeth.

"Yeah. So am I," Steve replied harshly as he continued his search.

.

The two cousins were walking around for about fifteen minutes, and they had cleared approximately three quarters of the quite large and area when Chin's phone rang.

"Hey Kono," he called and she stopped immediately. "It's Kate."

Kono was standing by Chin when he answered the phone call and activated the speaker so she could hear it too.

"Kate, we're at the airport, where are you?"

_"I found Wo Fat! Where's my backup?"_ Kate's voice came loudly and shaky, like she was running or something. And when she cursed loudly and the sound of the wind whistling became louder, he knew she was after him. "Call McGarrett," he said looking at Kono who was just as startled as he was. "NOW!"

.

"C'mon.. pick up, pick up.."

Kate checked her watch for the hundredth time; according to what Trish said and what the man working at the control tower said, she still had about twenty five minutes until the plane started landing procedures. But, from where she was standing, they had everything almost ready - the fuel hose had just been removed and the crew was already boarding.

"Fuck!"

Putting the Bluetooth on, Kate pocketed her phone so she had both hands free for her guns. She heard the third ring when Chin finally answered her call.

_"Kate, we're at the airport, where are you?"_

She was approximately seven hundred yards away from the plane, meaning she would have to be damn fast to reach them.

"I found Wo Fat!" she shouted as she started running towards the plane. "Where's my backup?" True that she still hadn't seen his face, but that was the plane, it was ready to fly to LA. "Oh, you son of a bitch!"

There he was. Even though she was still about five hundred yards away, Kate saw four people and she was willing to bet anything that Wo Fat was in the middle. And they were in a hurry.

Kate was barely paying attention to the phone call but she overheard Chin telling Kono to call McGarrett.

"I'm on the runway!" she announced, never stop running or slowing her pace. "I have eyes on Wo Fat and he's boarding on a small plane!"

.

Steve and Danny were going through the multiple boarding gates, lounging areas and surroundings but no sign of Kate. The Five-0 leader was starting to get nervous when his phone rang, making him and Danny stop on their tracks.

"Kono, did you find her?"

Kono's voice was startled when she spoke. _"Kate's on the runway. She found Wo Fat."_

Cursing everything he could think of in his head, Steve pocketed his phone and ran as fast as his legs could to a gate that would take him to where the airplanes were. He had to open space between the people and flash his badge to the woman standing by the door but, eventually, he made his way out, followed by the unwearying detective.

He looked both ways, but didn't find Kate anywhere. Pulling the phone from his pocket, he noticed that Kono was still there.

"Kono, she's near which gate?" he asked. There were quite a few gates and he was practically in the middle.

_"Hold on.. She says she's close the right end. Not sure which gate."_

Right end. That was a long run til the right end.

"Hey, you!" Danny yelled at a guy who was driving this small car, carrying the passenger's luggage. "I'm gonna need your car. Now."

Doing just like Steve did and showing the guy his badge, Danny practically pulled the guy out of it while Steve freed it from the luggage cart.

"Good thinking, Danno," Steve said sitting by Danny, who had the wheel.

"Yeah. I heard right wing and that's way too far for a run," he said, accelerating the vehicle he was now driving that looked slightly like a golf cart and made his way to the place Kono informed.

Danny and Steve had barely covered 300 yards when they heard shots being fired; they exchanged a worried look and Danny hit the gas pedal with such strength that it was practically glued to the floor.

.

As Kate expected, she was right; she was now at less that two hundred yards away and she could clearly see Wo Fat and three other people she had no idea who they were boarding on the plane.

If there was a time for her to act, that was it. She still didn't have anyone to cover her, yet, she had a wound that was healing perfectly fine on her lower abdomen reminding her how unprotected she was. Now that she learned that Steve was there, she just knew he would kill her because she didn't wear the Kevlar vest he left in her car and because she didn't let him know. That was just fantastic.

"Hey!" Kate yelled at the group on the stairs, taking her SIG-Sauer and pointing at them. "FBI!"

As soon as she announced it, the last man drew a gun and fired against Kate. Lucky enough, she was expecting for something like it and she ran to her left, where there was a helicopter landed so she used it as a shield.

Both Kate and the unknown man fired more than a couple of times and she knew what he was doing and she hated not being able to do more - he was buying some time so the pilot could get the plane ready to take-off.

.

"Faster, Danny!" Steve shouted when the sound of gunshots didn't stop.

"I am going as fast as I can!" Danny yelled back at Steve. They were almost near the last gate when they noticed this small plane leaving the place it was staying and moving towards the runway.

The pilot was getting ready to take-off.

.

With her body pressed against the helicopter, Kate heard when the engine of the plane started and, by the time the shots stopped and she could leave her secure place, the aircraft had its door closed and it was moving. Kate just prayed the guy on the tower wouldn't clear them for flight so the Five-0s could get there. But when the sound coming from the engine became louder, she knew they'd leave even without approval.

Holstering her gun, she reached for her revolver with larger caliber. Her aim now was the tires. If she managed to hit it, there was no way they could fly.

.

When Danny killed the engine of the small car, he had their eyes locked on that aircraft while Steve scanned the place looking for Kate, but he couldn't find her anywhere. He was seriously considering that Wo Fat took her when he heard loud gunshots coming from somewhere behind the helicopter that was landed a few yards away.

Instinctively, Danny and Steve ducked, but when they noticed the shots were being fired against the plane, they both ran over the helicopter.

The shots were ceased shortly before the plane successfully left, and when they walked around the chopper, they found Kate. She was curled up, her head was down - the chin touching her chest, her knees were practically the only thing supporting her torso since her hands that were pressed against it and her breathing was heavy. That view startled Steve.

"Kate!" He immediately ran towards her; the fact that she wasn't wearing a vest didn't go unnoticed and Steve was afraid she got shot again. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

She raised her head just enough so she could look at him; it wasn't much since he was leaning down so he could have a better look at her.

"I'm.. fine," she said in between heavy breaths. "I couldn't stop him," she said, her head dropping again. "It was Wo Fat on the plane and I couldn't stop him."

After a couple of seconds she straightened up and let her body lean against the helicopter that now had a few bullet holes - she was pretty sure the owner wouldn't like the new look.

"Just- forget about that plane for a while," Steve said, touching her right arm and making her look at him. If what she said was true - and he was sure it was - then there was much they could do right now and his major concern was Kate. "Are you hurt?"

Kate saw Steve's eyes scanning her body, looking for any wounds or blood. There was nothing, but then again, he didn't quite buy it because he only got to see the front and she was wearing a black shirt, black pants and she even had a jacket on top of it all.

Kate was about to answer to his question when Chin and Kono joined them, followed closely by the four HPD Officers.

"We heard gunshots," Chin said when he slowed his run to a quick walk.

"Is anyone hurt?" Kono asked looking at everyone.

"No, guys. Everything's fine. Everyone's fine. No one is hurt." Kate's voice was a tiny too harsh, and they all noticed it. Apparently, so did Kate because she shifted her eyes to the ground. She didn't intend to be hard on anyone, but she was frustrated. "I missed him," she admitted weakly and then she pointed to the small dot in the sky. "Wo Fat is on that plane.."

Chin and Kono exchanged a look; those weren't exactly good news but, looking on the bright side, Kate was alright. At least until now...

"What the hell were you thinking?" Steve asked not so gently. He was glad that she was safe but he couldn't just forget that, one more time, she chose to do things by herself. "Going after Wo Fat alone? How many times I'll have to tell you, we work as a unit! For the love of-"

"Steve. Please, stop. Stop. STOP TALKING!" Kate didn't mean to yell at him, but she did. He wasn't listening to her plead so she raised her voice and exploded. She was already nervous with that goddamned party she'd have to attend and now this? Why that loathsome little creature that went by the name of Wo Fat decided to leave Hawaii now? Why now? It was like the whole universe was conspiring against her. Illogical, of course, but she couldn't help but feel like everything was going south. Everything. She just yelled at Steve, for crying out loud! They started the day so nicely, how the hell they got to that point?

Steve, along with everyone else just stared at her; they could see she wasn't exactly in her normal self. She was fidgety, nervous, and very impatient. And Kate knew that too, and she knew that she needed to get her shit together. Even without looking directly at Danny, Chin, Kono and even Steve, Kate acknowledged people's concerned look and freed herself from Steve's hands. "I need a moment," she said turning her back to everyone and walking away from that. She didn't want to start a fight and, if he continued to talk to her like that, that's exactly what would happen.

Steve thought about following her but Danny stopped him. "Don't," he said when Steve addressed him one deadly glare. "Leave her alone for a while. She needs it."

Even though Steve wanted to argue with his partner, deep down he knew Danny was right.

"Alright, Kono, I need you to call Trish," Steve said turning his attention to what he could do, and it was try to stop Wo Fat from going to Japan. "Ask her to contact LAPD. Wo Fat can't leave Los Angeles. Chin, you think you can you get the flight manifest of that flight?"

"Sure," he said with a short nod.

"Great. Get that and meet us at the HQ." Just like Kono, he went doing as he was told.

Steve turned to face his partner while his eyes drifted to Kate, who was now a small figure on the horizon.

"Let's go," he said giving Danny a gentle tap on his shoulder. Steve was walking about two steps ahead of Danny so he didn't see the blonde guy making a negative sign with his head while following him.

.

"Kate! Kate, wait.." Steve reached her when she was back into the airport. He touched her shoulder softly as a mute request for her to stop. And she did, but her expression wasn't exactly what he was expecting. She was serious - dead serious. "I wan-"

"Not now, Steven." It was incredible what just a letter could do. The way she said his name, Steven with that 'N' in the end that he was getting unused to, hit him hard. Not to mention her words were cold and flat. Steve didn't think he'd done something that wrong, awful or hideous, so he never saw that coming.

Kate regretted treating him like that; she felt awful for being such a bitch. He probably was wondering what triggered that, but she didn't feel like talking. If she talked, she'd yell, and if she yelled, they'd have one hell of a fight, and if they fought.. God, she couldn't even think about that. She just needed some time to cool off, get her head out of that mess.

But when she saw the conflict of emotions in Steve's eyes, she knew that, if she didn't say something, they'd have a fight right there or later, whether she was calmer or not. "Look," she said, softening her eyes, face expression and voice. "I'm sorry.. I really don't want to get into any arguments right now so I need some time alone. Please."

Kate locked her eyes with Steve and they just stood there, staring at each other for what it seemed to be a very dreadful long time.

"Steve," Danny said placing a hand on his partner's shoulder while nodding at Kate.

"I'll see you at home," she whispered to Steve and then, looking at Danny, Kate mouthed a _'thank you'_ before walking away, towards the entrance.

"Don't worry, she'll be alright," Danny said when Kate was already far away. Steve didn't say a word, he just looked at his partner with suspicious eyes. "I know women. I was married and I have a daughter. Trust me."

Steve cocked an eyebrow at him and Danny instantly knew what his mistake was. "You do know that using the past tense isn't much of a comfort," he said flatly. But that statement made Danny look at him surprised.

"Pardon me if I'm mistaken, but.. Am I seeing super SEAL afraid of losing the girl?"

If Danny's question was supposed to be humorous, it didn't bring any hint of smile to Steve's face. On the contrary.. "I don't even know if I have something to lose, Danny," Steve replied a little grim.

**xxx**

Kate went straight home, but didn't stay. She only got in, changed her clothes to a tank top, shorts, sneakers and, taking only her phone and earphones, she went for a run, but not before leaving a note, in case Steve got home while she was away.

Back in DC, running was one of those things Kate did when she needed to just shut her brain off. But, somehow, it wasn't working there in Hawaii.

She had ran over a mile but her head was still pounding, working through the fact that she had lost her main suspect on an investigation that, even though it was the number one reason she was there, she had put on hold due to lack of evidence, leads, clues to follow and work on. And now, she was stuck with the Australians.

Thinking about that made her increase her speed; Kate didn't actually believe in fate, but at the moment, she was terrified that the result of tonight's events would be just the same as the one at the airport - she wouldn't win.

That was also the main reason she yelled at Steve and made her walk away from everyone; as an FBI Agent, she needed to have the edge on the situation, but, at this present time, the situation had her on the edge and that was completely unacceptable.

.

When Steve got back to his place, about two hours after what happened at the airport, he expected to find Kate there and, with a little bit of luck, more approachable. But it didn't happen. Walking around, he found her note on the table, in his den.

_"Went for a short run. Be back soon.  
>xoxo, Kate"<em>

Steve hasn't decided if that was a good or a bad thing. She left a note, which was good, but he couldn't tell what time she got home and when 'soon' was, and that wasn't so good. She added kisses and hugs on the note, which was good, but he couldn't tell how badly were the things between them, and that was kinda terrible.

Steve put that incredibly short note down with his heart weighting a ton in his chest and went for a shower. He needed to cool down; suffering in anticipation wouldn't help at all at the moment.

About twenty minutes later, Steve went back downstairs to find his place as empty as it was when he arrived. Apparently, Kate's soon wasn't soon enough.

After going to his lanai to check the outside, Steve decided to cook something, after all, it was already 2pm and he haven't had any breakfast.. Thinking about that morning made him wonder how he and Kate went from so close to so far. It was unbelievable and if someone have said it to him, he'd either laugh at it or just give it a bored look - but he wouldn't believe it.

Not exactly in the mood for making a full and healthy mean, Steve decided to make pasta; it was fast and it required not that much of attention, yet, he was fully concentrated and the sound of his back door opening almost went unnoticed. Almost. Thanks to his years of training, he heard the soft click and it was more than enough to make him reach for the knife that was lying close to his hand and walk silently to the door. He didn't see who it was because, by the time he got to the door, the person was already on its way upstairs.

Steve was about to follow the person upstairs when he recognized who was it. It was Kate. And he knew it because of her hair, her back and the way she walked. He would recognize her anytime, anywhere. Feeling relieved, he lowered the knife and, dropping his shoulders a little to relieve the tension and went back to the kitchen.

.

As soon as Kate got to Steve's lanai, from the outside, something was telling her that Steve was already there. She stayed out for two hours; she had time to run a marathon practically, but still, she entered his place prepared to ignore his presence there.

That was incredibly childish and coward, but she didn't know what to do. She had been such an idiot, she treated him so badly and, right now, she was afraid of facing him; Kate felt so incredibly scared because she had no idea what was to come.

She wouldn't blame him if he never forgave her. She was incredibly selfish and she disrespected him in front of his whole team - what the hell was wrong with her? Yell at the Five-0 leader like that? That was so unprofessional and damn inappropriate in so many levels she couldn't even stop to think about that. She was scared and with a reason; her behavior today was unseemly wrong.

As soon as she walked through, Kate felt the smell of something really good coming from the kitchen and that told her that Steve should be cooking. She couldn't even make a joke about his cooking skills because she walked determined to the stairs, and didn't turn when she heard the muffled sound of footsteps following her. It wasn't necessary to look; she knew it would be Steve, so, she climbed the stairs making her way to his bedroom and, eventually, his bathroom.

She was such a coward.. but being a coward was suddenly a lot more appealing than learning she had screwed everything with the man she was most definitely in love.

.

It has been over thirty minutes since she returned home; Kate had already showered and was sitting on the floor by Steve's bed, with only a towel around her body. She didn't even put any clothes on. Man, she was completely messed up.

Letting her forehead rest against her own knees, Kate counted to ten mentally and was about to get up and get dressed when the door of his room cracked open just a little and that's when she saw Steve.

"Hey," he said when his eyes found hers. At first, Kate could see some curiosity filling his gorgeous blue eyes and when his eyes locked with hers, she saw it change to something that reminded her of concern. "You okay?" Steve asked opening the door enough so she could see his entire figure.

"Yeah," she replied not so convincingly. "Yes, I'm good."

Steve had went there because he was starting to get worried when Kate never went downstairs and he hadn't heard the shower in over fifteen minutes so he decided to go upstairs, regardless if that would make Kate hate him even further. But what he saw there was something that got him stunned. So much that he just let go of the door, walked across his room and kneeled in front of her.

"Are you sure?"

"Uhum."

Kate knew she wasn't alright; she was still a mess. If such thing was possible, she was even more stressed out with Steve standing right there, in front of her, with all his gorgeousness and his eyes peering into her soul. And she knew that he was seeing right through her, because she wasn't just sitting there, practically physically naked, but also emotionally naked. She felt like she was an open book and he could read her with no difficulty, and that's probably what caused her to, once again, suck it up and bring back all the years of training to hide her feelings and emotions again.

"Can you give me a minute so I can change?" Kate asked trying to stand up. Steve helped her and, even though he wanted to grab that woman by her shoulders, give her one hell of a shake to let her know he was right there, he didn't.

Of course Steve saw what Kate was doing. He saw that she was trying to be a hard-ass and handle it all herself, and as much as he hated that, as much as it sometimes drove him mad, he also liked her, so much. And he knew she liked him just as much because he could see that in her eyes, the only thing was - he needed to find a way to get past that great wall she had built inside her. The Great Wall of Kate.

So, helping her stand up, he agreed and walked off, leaving Kate alone with her thoughts again.

Steve didn't like that option very much, but during those few seconds he stood in front of her, he could see how raw her emotions were, and they would have an interesting evening ahead so he decided to actually listen to Danny's words and give her a break. It couldn't do much more harm and, if it did, he could always kick his partner's short ass in the end.

Standing there, in the middle of Steve's room alone, made Kate sigh. Why she had to be such stubborn, proud human being? Why she couldn't just apologize to him? Because even she knew that, today, she had screwed up. Big time. So why?

Wishing that the Earth could open up beneath her feet and swallow her right now, Kate ditched the towel and looked for some clothes so she could face Steve with at least a little dignity

.

To Kate's surprise, even though it was already after 3:30pm, Steve had made lunch and was waiting for her. That was awkward in a way that she was definitely not expecting such thing.

"Okay.. What is this all about?" she asked when they finished lunch and Steve was doing the dishes.

He turned to look at Kate who was standing right behind him; her hands on her hips and a puzzled look in her eyes. Steve thought it shouldn't be right for her to be that cute when he knew things were not alright.

"I mean, seriously? Why are you doing this?"

"I was hungry and I thought you were too," Steve said with a shrug, turning his attention back to the dishes. Once again, he thought about Danny's words telling him to give her space and Steve had a feeling that, listening to his piece of advice wasn't gonna help that much. On the other hand..

"Steve, drop it. Why are you doing this? Why are you being so nice?" That was the question that was killing her, why Steve was acting so nicely when she was a real ass with him? She seriously rather have him yelling at her over that. That's the kind of thing that her brother did to her, to show how disappointed he was on her and she hated that with a passion. It was worst than torture.

Kate didn't notice her voice went just a little bit louder, but Steve did. And he stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her. He had to leave in about an hour and he really didn't want to start a fight with Kate, not now, not ever again.

"You said you needed a moment, I'm respecting that," Steve explained looking straight at her. "Whenever you feel like talking to me, I'll be here and I'll listen. I'll wait. Just like you, I don't want to argue so I'll wait.." If he was expecting that his words would calm her down, he was so completely wrong.

"How can you do that? How can you.. It wasn't right. The way I talked to you, it wasn't right. Why.. How can you do that, Steve?"

He watched her face twisting with confusion and maybe a bit of anger as she paced around his kitchen, so he waited until that faded a little.

"Right or wrong, you had your motives," Steve said calmly when Kate stopped. "I'm not gonna hold grudges; that was then.. Now we have other things to think about and I really don't want to add any more unnecessary stress to both of us."

Kate wanted to say something - anything - but she didn't. She couldn't. Because she knew Steve was right and, even though she didn't want to admit, she was way too nervous and even more affected now that there were only hours left. She felt her shoulders dropping, her attitude shrinking and her eyes gazing the floor.

"You're right. Of course you're right.. I'm sorry," she whispered when she managed to raise her eyes back to face Steve. He was still leaning against the sink and had this perfectly calm expression in his face and Kate just wished she was that controlled. She usually was, but now.. "I guess I'm nervous," she said still looking at him.

"That's pretty obvious," Steve said with a small smile, but Kate never smiled back.

"I already failed this morning.. What if I fail again?"

The sincerity and even pain in her words made Steve feel something inside him; he wanted to protect that woman, he didn't want her to feel like that because she didn't really failed. What happened that morning wasn't in their plans so there wasn't anyone to blame - not really, so Steve didn't fight the urge to take a couple of steps towards Kate and close his arms around her.

Kate welcomed that gesture and let her head rest in his shoulder.

"You didn't fail," he whispered to her. "It wasn't your fault what happened, and it won't happen again tonight, okay? I'll be there. Everyone will be there so don't worry.."

Steve's soothing voice and his hand caressing her back sent a shiver down Kate's spine. She felt guilty. Because she understood what he was saying perfectly - she was not alone. But, even though she promised him she'd try to adjust and be a better team member, she didn't try that hard. She was still the same person she was when she got there and even before - a loner. And with Steve so close to her, not only physically, but emotionally, she felt bad for not keeping her promise but, most of all, she felt terrified. Kate had to change if she wanted to be with Steve; she'd have to learn how to share and open up to the point where suffering and hurt was a possibility. Not that she thought that Steve would hurt her – actually, it was more likely that she would hurt him – but she was afraid of losing control over her life; until now, she learned to depend on herself and herself alone and she was great at it. But she wanted more. Now, she wanted everything. But to go for it meant she'd have to learn to be someone else completely different from who she was today; let go of the control freak that she was and to rely her personal happiness on someone else. It was a risk she'd have to take, that she wanted to take because of him - but she was beyond scared. Scared for acknowledging that fact and because she wouldn't have Steve that close during that stupid party.

. . .

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><p><em>There's a review button somewhere below these lines and, if you feel like sharing your thoughts; I encourage you to tell me what you think about this story! I'm always happy to hear what you think about it! Mahalo to everyone who's still with me!<em>


	32. Chapter 32

**Aloha sailors!**

**Thank you everyone who's reading this, has reviewed, favorited and/or alerted this story so far! You guys are super duper über awesome! _Huge_ thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! Thank you so much! You are great and I appreciate every single one of you.**

**********New chapter. I hope you enjoy :)**********

**********A/N: **********_I'm not exactly pleased with my description of people's outfit for the party, so I put some link on my bio so you can have a better idea of what I had in mind._**********  
><strong>********

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><p>Steve left around 5:40pm; thanks to his cover, he needed to be there an hour earlier the event started. Seeing him walking through the doors made Kate feel like there was a knife cutting through her chest, blind blade and no anesthetics; it hurt like hell but she remembered his words and tried to calm down. She needed to be sharp and that's what she'd do.<p>

Closing her eyes, Kate allowed her thoughts to go back to a not so long ago past; she needed to feel him close to her, and so did Steve.

.

_Steve had just left his shower and Kate was sitting in the middle of his bed; her legs crossed, her arms holding onto a pillow and her eyes lacked any expressions._

_"Hey," he said crawling towards her and pulling Kate closer to him. "Would you stop looking at me like it's the last time we'll ever see each other?"_

_Kate was sitting in between his legs and when he said that, she couldn't help but melt against his naked chest and his arms slid around her waist as locked on her back. He was wearing nothing but his boxers and even though his skin was warm, it was causing her to shiver._

_"I just can shake this feel-" she didn't have time to finish her sentence when Steve covered her lips with his, making Kate forget what she was talking or thinking about._

_"Stop thinking," he whispered, and she felt his breath tickling her skin._

_His heavenly lips were pressed against her and she opened her mouth instantly to allow the access that he was demanding. _

_That kiss didn't start not even a little teensy bit gentle. They didn't have time for gentle. They just needed to feel each other and they were nowhere near gentle. Kate was damn nervous and, even though Steve had this calm thing going on, he was scared as well. He didn't like the fact that she would be among beasts with Cahill. He hated that. He knew they'd have microphones and he'd hear her all the time but he didn't like not standing by her side to give her proper protection._

_So they didn't have any gentleness going on. It was pure need. Basic and raw need._

_Kate tossed the pillow somewhere far and no one noticed when it hit the lampshade, sending it to the ground, where it landed with a thud and it was now completely useless. The only thing their brains were processing was their bodies, yearning for more proximity and the necessity and eagerness described in their deep and avid kisses._

_Quickly enough, Kate's hands flew to Steve's hair pulling him even closer while she unwrapped her legs and with one fluid move, she had him pinned against his own bed._

_"Kate, I-"_

_"Shut up," she hissed while taking her T-Shirt off, opening the clasp of her bra and ditching it; all that faster than Steve could ever imagine it was humanly possible._

_Her lips met his again and he stopped arguing. His hands slid down to her waist and he took her tiny black shorts along with her panties and, just like the rest of her wardrobe, it was tossed somewhere around. _

_They didn't have much time so that would not be pretty and definitely would not be long. Not that Steve and Kate were expecting to have any of those things._

_Kate followed Steve and with erratic moves, she yanked his boxers and she eyed him when she noticed he was already hard. She was perfectly aware of the fact that that wasn't exactly right - they hadn't talk about their earlier misunderstanding and yet, there they were, about to have some angry sex - but to hell with that. She needed him and he needed her just as much; they'd deal with that later. Steve agreed to that even though no words were ever uttered._

_When he looked in Kate's eyes, he saw something that he couldn't tell what that was, but it was stronger, deeper and way more intense than anything he had seen before._

_His heart was pounding on his chest and he could literally see that Kate's weren't that different. He could see it beating right there, in front of his eyes. Her perfect breast uncovered and pounding, her breathing was completely messed up, just like his brain when he heard what should have been Kate, but her voice wasn't recognizable at all. It didn't sound anything like her, yet, he had his eyes locked on her face so he saw her lips moving as she practically ordered him: "fuck me, Steven"._

_His hands were already on her firm ass and he didn't do much thinking. He just guided her wet and hot entrance to his painfully erection and, with one thrust, he entered her completely, making Kate shut her eyes closed, her mouth opened as a moan came from somewhere deep in her throat. It hurt. To have Steve inside her like that, it hurt, but she would bear the pain._

_Steve stayed still for about a second; he was looking at her face, twisting with pain but he didn't have time to worry because Kate's eyes snapped open and she spoke in a very bossy way. "Move."_

_Not sure if it was his need or her dominancy, but Steve was getting hotter and hotter and he was so close to his release when he did as she said. Kate knew that they wouldn't last long; taking Steve's hand, she placed it on her breast and he understand the message just as fast and started fumbling, pinching and caressing her hard and sensitive nipples, making Kate throw her had backwards and arched at the contact. She could already feel her walls clenching and Steve struggling to make it long enough to them both, so she took his other hand off her hips, matching his fast movements while guiding his other hand to her clit._

_Steve watched as Kate brought her head up and locked her eyes on his. That view made his hold his breath for a while. She looked beautifully broken. Like something was happening with her but he couldn't really tell what it was; he just knew it made his heart skip a beat and that was it. Two more thrusts and he was gone. Kate followed him shortly after and she collapsed on top of him while their fluids mixed._

_Not pretty, not long, but necessary._

_Kate and Steve stayed like that for almost as long as it all happened. Their hearts were still racing when Kate shook her long auburn hair backwards and looked at Steve. He noticed her eyes were again normally gray and he hadn't decided if that was good or not so good._

_"I guess you'll need another shower," she said, her voice back to normal while she slid to his side._

_"I guess," Steve replied propping up and kissing her lips before jumping out of bed and into his shower again in less than twenty minutes._

_This time, when he left, he found his bedroom empty in a way that Kate wasn't there, but every piece of evidence showing what they had just did were still lying across his bedroom floor._

_He didn't have time to do anything about that - it was already 5:36pm and he would be late if he didn't run._

_Running downstairs, jumping two steps at time, he found Kate sitting on his couch wearing only her T-shirt and panties._

_"Hey, I gotta go," he said standing by her side while finishing buttoning his shirt. "I'll see you there." When he saw her plain white expression again, he stopped working on hit shirt and cupped her face with both hands. "Don't worry, okay? We'll be fine."_

_Those words fit beyond the "don't-worry-everyone-will-be-at-the-party", he was also talking about their pending issues._

_Kate just nodded as her hands made its way to his neck and she pulled him for a kiss, this time, less aggressive and more kind._

_"See you later," she whispered and tried to give him a smile but that didn't work as planned._

_Leaning forward to place a soft kiss on her lips, Steve's lips brushed her cheeks softly before turning his back to her and running to his truck._

.

After Steve left, Kate dragged her body up the stairs so she could start getting ready to face her personal hell with lots of make-up on.

It was a black and white party so she had to dig into her baggage to see if she had brought something that she could use. She hadn't give that much thought because she didn't want to go. But it was inevitable so, she prayed there was something inside that huge luggage. Lucky enough, there was. Something that she had put in her luggage _just in case_ and, she thanked heaves for doing so.

Not exactly in a rush, Kate made her way to Steve's bathroom. The whole place smelled his cologne and it was intoxicatingly good.

After about thirty minutes, Kate returned to his room, wearing only her underwear, seeking for her make-up case. She had a handbag full of all sorts of things you can imagine, but her cheerfulness dropped another bit when she remembered she had to get dressed for the wrong man.

With that terrible thought in her head, Kate made her way back to the bathroom where she would dry her hair so she could come up with some nice hair-do, get her make-up on so finally she could get into her outfit and head to the Hilton to meet with Christopher.

.

Kate took her time to do that whole process and when she finally knocked on his door, it was already 7:22pm.

"I know. I'm late," she said when the doors went open and she saw Christopher standing in front of her.

Even though his mouth was hanging slightly open, Cahill didn't make a sound. He was about to tell her she was late but he got stunned by the view.

Standing in front of him, Kate was wearing a long strapless white dress with some folds along her torso that hug her body just enough to make her look even more beautiful than she already was. Plus, her hair pulled on a fancy hairdo, small diamond earrings, and the natural make-up could be summed up in just one word.

"Wow.." That was all that Cahill said while taking that gorgeous view. She looked like a movie star that was about to walk on the Red Carpet. Just marvelous.

Kate was slightly pleased with his reaction, but she'd like better if it was coming from someone else. Although, she needed to admit that Christopher Cahill wasn't that bad. Actually, he looked very handsome. He wearing one of his classic black tuxedos, but that one was a lot fancier. Italian, most likely.

"You look nice," she said when Cahill didn't say a word about her delaying. "What is it? Armani?"

"D&G," he said with a perky smile on his face; then, he opened the door so Kate could walk through it. "Come on in."

"We're late," she said still outside.

"It's just a second."

Kate stepped into his room, hoping that it would have them on their way pretty fast. She wasn't looking forward to that but she couldn't stop thinking about Danny and Kono, if they were already there, and about Steve. She wanted to get there fast so she could get closer to him.

"Wait here," he said then disappeared into his bedroom.

Kate rolled her eyes and shifted on her place until he reappeared holding a box. She instantly recognized what that was.

"Christopher, no. No."

"I missed your birthday," he said standing in front of her. "For seven years."

When he opened it and her eyes landed on what he was holding, Kate's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hands. It was definitely one of the most dazzling necklaces she had ever seen. There were tons of shiny little stones and teardrop shaped pieces all over it. It was elegant, classy..

"Are those.."

"Diamonds? Yes." Kate raised her head immediately when Cahill said it. That must have had cost as much as her car, maybe more.

"No. I can't accept it," she said closing its lid and pushing it back to Cahill.

"You can and you will. Please." He opened it and took it in his hands. Cahill also noticed the animosity in her eyes. "I'm not trying to buy your forgiveness, your trust or anything," he said seriously. "We were friends once, and I got this for your twenty fifth birthday.. but I could never give it to you."

Kate stiffened. She still didn't trust him, but there was something in his voice, in his eyes and in the back of her head that took his words. And that was what made her take a small step back. She wasn't ready for that.

Cahill did knew Kate. So much that he could recognize she was this close to bring up all the crazy things he knew she had been keeping inside.

"Kate, you don't have to trust me.. I know you still don't like me, but we're in this together so, please, let's not do this right now, okay?"

Cahill's words caught her off guard. That man was a constant pain in her ass. How did he do that to her? How on Earth he managed to neutralize her like that? Kate hated not having a witty return for his words but she knew he was right. And she disliked how kindly he had said it - it was almost like he cared; about their safety, not just his, their. And she almost believed he cared about her. What even?

"Fine. But let's go. We're already too late." Kate had already turned her back to him when his hands stopped her.

"Can I?" Cahill still had that necklace in his hands. And, before Kate could say 'no', he already had it around her neck. "It's perfect," he said looking at her. "I mean.. You were already perfect, but it fits you very nicely."

Kate didn't blush, but she felt unseemly awkward. She didn't quite get what was happening there but she just wanted to get the hell out of that place.

"Let's go," she said turning his back to him and walking with determined steps to the door.

Cahill followed her shortly, but, because she was walking in front of him, Kate never saw the little grin in his face.

"Sure," he said and, with a short run, Cahill went past Kate and opened the door so she could walk out of his room.

.

"I'm driving," she said flatly, reaching for the keys Cahill was holding. He stared at her in disbelief. "There's somewhere I need to go first," she said when the elevator's doors went open and the walked out of it, into the parking lot.

**xxx**

The road to the big mansion where that party would take place went quietly. Kate and Cahill didn't talk much - not that they had so many things to talk about. Then she killed the engine of his Audi R8 about a block away from the place and by a van and turned to face him.

"Wait here," Kate said taking the keys with her and stepping out of the car, being careful to not step on her own dress.

She knocked twice just to let Chin know it was her and then she opened the door and stepped into the equipped van.

"Hold on," Chin said to someone; Kate wondered if it was Steve, Danny, Kono or the three of them. When he turned to look at her, Chin couldn't hold back a "Woah.."

_"What's wrong?"_

_"Woah what? What happened?"_

Kate heard Steve and Danny's voice respectively coming through the headphones that Chin had placed on the operating table.

"Nothing happened," he spoke back to the startled Five-0s. "You'll understand in a few.."

Chin took a couple of earbuds and handed them to Kate. "Here. Put this on. One's for you, one is for Cahill."

"Okay," she said pulling the small piece in her right ear. It was very tiny and it could go unnoticed, so they wouldn't have any problems with it.

"Alright," Chin said briefing her in shortly. "Danny and Kono, aka Mr. Anthony Lucca and his girlfriend Erin Lee, are already there. They arrived about ten minutes ago. According to Danny and Steve, Richard Fairbanks isn't there yet - at least they didn't find him, Danny's trying to find out what's happening, but I think it'll be better once you get there with Christopher," Chin said seriously. "We were concerned about your delay.."

"I'm sorry about that," Kate said truthfully. "It took me a little too long to get ready."

"Don't worry about that. You're here now and that's what matters. So, if anything goes sideways, I'm here, ready to go it. We can talk all the time and I hacked their security cameras so I also have eyes. I'll let you know if something happens."

Kate nodded. Now she had everything to go and her heart was starting to increase its pace. "Okay. Thanks Chin," she said nervously. Kate was about to leave the van when Chin called her name once again.

"With all due respect to whoever it is, you look fantastic."

That piece of comment made her smile. "Thanks.. I guess I'll see you later," she said and opened the door and walked back to Cahill's Audi, where he was waiting for her.

.

"Here," she said handing him his own earbud. "Put this on and don't even think about taking it off."

"Yes, ma'am." Cahill did as she said and, taking the small piece from her hand, he put it in his right ear.

Kate watched his every movement after that and when she was convinced he had done it alright, she tossed him his keys so he could drive.

"Let's go," she said occupying the passenger seat. "I just want to get it over with."

**xxx**

"Christopher Cahill plus one," he said to one of the guys with the name list by the door.

The man whom Cahill was talking eyed Kate head to toe and that made her tighten her grip on her clutch bag. Cahill noticed that and slid his hand around her waist, addressing an annoyed look at him.

"Enjoy the party, Mr. Cahill," he said politely at Christopher. Then, turning to Kate, he made a small move of his head and referred to her as "Mrs. Cahill" but didn't even made an effort to hide a grin.

Kate didn't bother correcting him; she just held onto Cahill and walked through the huge double doors.

"We're in," she said, knowing that everyone was hearing her.

"I can see that, _Mrs. Cahill_." Chin's voice had this sort of playful tone, making Kate roll her eyes.

"Shut up," she hissed through her teeth while putting up a smile on her face; she had just walked into the mansion and so many eyes landed on them.

.

Danny and Kono were socializing when they heard Kate's voice announcing she had arrived.

"Finally," Danny muttered to Kono.

The Asian woman gave him a short nod; then, Danny slid one arm around her slim waist and they their way to the front door.

"Oh my," Danny muttered as Kono's eyes matched his expression. They hadn't have to take five steps to spot Kate and Cahill, and they suddenly understood why people were staring at them. "Wait till McGarrett sees this," he said looking at Kono. Both had this amused expression.

_"Focus, Danny."_ Steve's voice came so flat and serious through the little earbud in their ears that made Danny look around; he found Steve a few meters away, wearing his uniform - white dress shirt, black trousers, white jacket suit, bow tie and, what always made Danny giggle inwardly, the silver tray - and his eyes were locked on the couple that had just arrived.

"They look like.. Gisele and Tom Brady," Kono said, still looking at Kate and Christopher. "I'm sorry boss but they look amazing," Kono said; they certainly did quite an appearance and caused an impression on practically everyone.

Steve couldn't not agree with Kono. When his eyes landed on Kate wearing that long white dress, he wished so badly that he was the one with his arms around her waist, not Cahill. But even Steve needed to admit that they looked fabulous together. And he hated thinking about that. The only thing that cheered him up a little bit was to remember that, in the end, she'd be going home with him, not "Tom Brady" - using Kono's words.

"Do I need to remember you two of why we're here?" Steve asked annoyed.

"Alright, let's go," Danny said ushering Kono towards the front door.

.

Kate and Cahill could hear every word that Danny, Kono and Steve were talking. She could see this annoying smile on Cahill's face and she knew it wasn't for their cover - he was clearly enjoying that. But Kate couldn't do much because they didn't have take three steps inside when a familiar figure appeared, walking in their direction. James White.

"Well, well, well.. Look who's finally here," he said with his strong accent, standing in front of Cahill to shake hands; then, he turned to look at Kate and, just like the man on the door, he eyed her head to toe - that was starting to get on her nerves. "And I can see you brought your beautiful lady."

"Sir.," Kate said politely, even though she wanted to kick his ass for sending a police officer to the hospital. White reached out for her hand and placed a kiss on it, his lips lingered more than it was necessary. Cahill noticed that and interrupted that uncomfortable moment; Kate felt her blood rising when she noticed his eyes, surveying her like she was something edible - she would gladly wipe that smile off his face when they ended that case.

"I'm sorry we're late," Cahill said and, when White let go of her hand, Kate instinctively held onto Cahill's arms. Brushing her hand on his jacket to get rid of any possible remains of White. "Kim and I had a - distraction."

Kate frowned. What he was doing was completely unnecessary and who the hell was Kim? When he took her hand in his, she noticed she wasn't Kate anymore.. She never thought about asking for such trivial detail like her identity, she thought it wasn't necessary, but, now that he had already dropped that brand new information, Kate started to think that, maybe it was for the best.

"I can't say I blame you," White said with a grin, then turned to face Kate - or Kim. "With a girlfriend like that, I don't think I'd even come to this party.."

Even though she was starting to feel sick, Kate held her smile perfectly. If she wasn't a cop, maybe she'd be a great actress.

"If it wasn't for Richard, I wouldn't have come either," Cahill said while letting go of her arm to hold onto her waist, pulling her close to him.

Kate turned her head to Cahill, keeping her eyes soft and the small smile that now seemed to be something permanent. But, even though it looked like they were just a couple being sweet to each other, Cahill understood, thanks to her tight grip on his back that she did not approve what he was doing.

"Mr. Fairbanks isn't here yet, but there's someone else I'd like to introduce you to," White said and, with just a wave, Kate and Cahill noticed a tall man that they recognized as Connor, escorting a very familiar couple. "This is Mr. Anthony Lucca," he said pointing to Danny.

Kate tried to hide her surprise; Danny looked amazing in suit. He was wearing a white shirt, black tie matching the also black vest and fitted suit. Probably Italian, like Cahill's, but, in her opinion, he wore it a lot better than Christopher. Danny looked very classy, elegant and he had this pose that granted him the looks of a British Lord. Or maybe an Italian stallion since his cover was an Italian character.

"Christopher Cahill," he said introducing himself before White had the chance and reached out to shake hands with the blonde guy. "Nice to meet you."

"It is very nice meeting you, Mr. Cahill," said Danny and Kate had to fight the urge to smile bigger. Danny's fake Italian accent was perfect. Turning to look at Kate, Danny took her hand in his, just like White did seconds ago, but this time, Kate didn't felt the urge to break every single bone on Danny's hands, like she wanted to do with White. "Miss.."

"Kimberly," Cahill said quickly. "Valentine."

Kate looked at Cahill with the corner of her eyes. _Kimberly Valentine_? What the hell kind of name was that?

"_Incantato_," Danny said kissing her hand softly.

"Enchanted," she replied with a genuine smile.

"This is Erin," Danny said placing a hand on the small of Kono's back.

Kate and Kono exchanged a glance and smile and Kate couldn't not admire the Asian woman. She looked as gorgeous as Danny.

"Hi," Kate said reaching for Kono's hand and shaking it softly. "Loved your dress," she said truthfully. Kono's while long loose dress with some golden details did justice to her already beautiful figure, giving her the looks of a Greek goddess. Plus the way she had her hair curled and make-up made Kono look even more beautiful than she naturally was; tonight, she was stunning.

"Thank you," the Asian said with an open smile. "Yours is quite beautiful as well."

To Kate's joy, someone appeared, looking for White so they get rid of the guy.

"Thank God," she said through her teeth while the four of them started walking through the people. "One more minute with that guy and I'd blow my cover along with yours," Kate told Cahill who, for some reason, was still holding her waist. "And if you don't let go of my waist, I'll kick you in the jewels," she added, whispering in his ear so, to everyone else, she looked like she was saying silly things to her boyfriend.

Cahill just smiled and she his hands leaving her waist, but stopping on the small of her back when he saw a bunch of people he knew.

"They are important people in the AOC," he said, knowing that Danny and Kono were right behind them and could hear every word he said. Danny, Kono and Kate didn't need to ask what AOC stand for - most definitely it was short for Australian Organised Crime.

The three men that Cahill had just talked about turned shortly after he finished his sentence and, with a wave, they signaled for him to join them.

"Christopher! We thought you weren't coming."

Cahill let go of Kate to shake hands with the three men, the he turned to the taller, who was also the one who talked to him.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything," he said with a smile. Then, to Kate's misery, all eyes landed on her and she was starting to think why she was doing that..

"Well, I can think of a reason to miss this boring party. Your friend is lovely," the man said, reaching out to her hand.

"She's my girlfriend," Cahill said quite cheerfully and, Kate noticed, a little too proud.

"Lucky bastard.. I'm Joseph Barker," he said to Kate. Apparently, kissing the hand was the salute she'd have to deal with the whole night.

"Kim Valentine," she said, trying to hide how unhappy she was with that name. It sounded like she was a strip dancer or something like that. She would give Cahill one hell of a hard time when they left that circus.

"Beautiful name for a beautiful lady," he said and Kate almost puked in her mouth. Then, the three men looked at the couple right beside Cahill and Kate.

"Oh, I don't think you've been introduced.. Gentlemen," Cahill said taking a step back and making a small move with his head towards Danny and Kono. "This is Mr. Anthony Lucca and his lovely lady, Miss Erin Lee."

Kate had no idea how this 'Anthony Lucca' was famous until she saw the reaction of those men. Sure she had read his file, but that was about it. She had no idea how this alias was developed. Judging by the astonished look in their faces, Mr. Anthony Lucca was some sort of legend.

"I'm very honored to meet you personally, Mr. Lucca," said Joseph Barker with so much respect that one could think he had just met the Queen of England. Even his handshake looked different to Kate.

"I can say the same, Mr. Barker," replied Danny politely.

Kate was so glad that Danny and Kono were there. She knew it was completely unprofessional, but, when the three men turned their undivided attention to Danny, Kate was starting to wonder how awful it would be if she just left. The effort to keep the fake smile as genuine as possible was starting to get on her nerves and she was there for what? Ten minutes tops? This would be one hell of a long night and she hadn't seen Steve anywhere, nor heard of him after those two brief sentences when she arrived.

Kate was just thinking about that when someone spoke by her side and she felt her heart coming to her throat.

"Gentlemen, ladies.. Can I get you something to drink?"

Kate's eyes met Steve's and it was a hard battle to not smile wide open. Oh, how she missed him..

The three men turned that offer down, since they all had glasses in their hands, but Danny, Kono and Cahill took a glass of what Kate thought it was champagne.

"How about you, ma'am?" he asked directly at Kate, who was the only one with empty hands.

"Uh.. Could you get me a double scotch, no ice, please?" Kate asked, making everyone turn to look at her. Even Steve arched an eyebrow to that.

"Sure," he said after a brief moment of silence. "I'll be right back."

When Kate turned to look at everyone, she noticed their eyes were still on her. She knew what half of they were thinking - she was working, why she would go for double scotch, no ice, when she's working? Kate was aware of that, but she also knew that that party was getting on her nerves, and that's why she asked for a scotch. To try to relax. Not exactly right, but..

"Have you heard of Richard?" Cahill asked, taking the attention off of Kate.

"I suppose he's on his way," Joseph said, letting very evident that, if there was a leader between those three, it was him.

Kate very much appreciated that Cahill was focusing on their main reason to be there and was paying extra attention to that conversation that she barely noticed when Steve returned with her drink.

"Excuse me, Miss," Steve said in a low tone touching her shoulder gently. Kate turned to look at him and when their eyes met, she could see he was enjoying that just as much as she was, but his eyes were telling her to hold on because it was just for a while. It would all be over in a few hours.

Kate and Steve didn't notice it, but they probably held each other's glance for a little longer than it was supposed to because the next thing she heard was someone telling Cahill that he should pay extra attention to his date.

"I can tell that that waiter is most definitely paying attention to your girl, Christopher.."

Kate snapped back and, taking her glass of scotch from Steve's tray, she addressed him one last and quick glance before turning back to the small group.

"Well, he can look.. I mean, that's all he can do," Cahill said and, to Kate's huge surprise, he leaned and kissed her. Full on the lips and in front of everyone, including Steve who was still close enough to see that.

Kate's first reaction was shock. Her whole body tensed and she lacked any other reactions. What the hell? Why on Earth would he do that? Then, she felt her body starting to boil in her veins and her fingers tighten around her glass and clutch bag and she barely noticed when Kono nudged Danny; the two of them knew what was about to happen and he called Steve quietly, yet not so calm.

_"Kate, don't."_ She heard Steve's voice in her ear and she could tell he was struggling to keep it calm. _"We're under cover, remember?"_

She really didn't want to remember anything; she just wanted to punch him. Yet, she managed to control her anger and all she did was to push Cahill away gently. It surprised her how her ability to keep the act, and she smiled at the tall blonde guy.

Kate was still not thinking straight when they all started talking again. Kono noticed Kate all absent-minded, so she discreetly excused herself to use the toilet and asked Kate - _Kim_ - to come with her.

On their way to the toilet, Kate emptied her glass with one long sip and put it on the tray of some waiter. Even though he just placed his lips on hers, Kate wanted to get rid of any remains of that.

.

"So," Kono said once they were inside the fancy toilet. It had even a sofa and two armchairs in there, God knows why. "Wanna talk?"

Kate went straight to a sink and washed her face with some cold water. She was still a little nervous and she definitely needed that. Grabbing a couple of paper towels, she drained her face, removing her make-up. Thankfully she brought some of it in her clutch bag and she could redo it.

Looking at her left, Kate found Kono leaning against the sink, her eyes locked on her. She also noticed she had taken her earbud off and was holding it in her hand.

Kate let go of her clutch bag, placing it on the sink, and let her head fall. She had her arms stretched out and her hands were tight on the end of the marble of the sink like it was the only thing keeping her from falling. And, in a way, it was.

"Please, remind me why I'm here, doing this," Kate said after taking the small thing in her ear and putting it inside her clutch bag. "I think I'm missing the point.."

"We need to know if the Australians have anything planned, why they hired two hitmen, why they had surveillance photos of your team in Australia.." Kono's words were very carefully. "We're here to help you ending this once and for all, Kate."

Kate sighed. Kono was right. She already knew all that stuff but, after that kiss, she was having a bit of a hard time focusing on that, especially when she wanted to strangle Christopher Cahill with her bare hands.

"Right," she whispered straightening up and inhaling deeply a couple of times. "You're right."

Kate was already opening her clutch bag to get her make-up when Kono's hand landed on hers.

"Are you alright?" Kono asked truthfully concerned. She had never seen Kate like that and she was quite sure that at least part of that odd behavior was due to Cahill's kiss.

"Yeah," she said flatly when the doors went open and a woman came in. Automatically, she reached for her make-up and started putting everything on again, foundation, blush, lipstick, gloss, everything.

She was almost done when the toilet emptied again. Looking at Kono who was still mute by her side, Kate let go.

"I came to Hawaii because of something completely different, I didn't come here knowing I'd have to deal with this again, I came here to investigate a case completely different," Kate said leaning against the sink and putting the red gloss down. "And today, I saw the main suspect of that investigation escaping.. I'm not alright. I feel like I might fail again right now and it sucks. It suck ass because then, I'd have failed twice in less than twenty four hours. I'd have failed on the Interpol and I'd have failed on Steve. And, even though both things are awful, it's the latter one that's eating me alive. Because the main reason I came to this Island, were you and Steve, also because of your team. Kono, I have one hell of a hard time working with people and I'm pretty sure you might have already noticed it. But when I got that phone call, at my house in DC, at five in the morning saying that your team was in trouble, I couldn't just ignore it, I couldn't get someone else to work on this and I sure as hell couldn't wait. So while I was talking to Danny, I asked my brother to book me a one way ticket to Hawaii. And I came. It was my day off, I hadn't had any sleep because I was working my ass off on a case over there but I needed to come. I needed to come because I couldn't allow anything to happen to any of you guys. And when Danny said you and Steve were arrested, I freaked out. Because, truth was, a year ago, I came to Hawaii and I fell in love. I fell in love with the Five-0s. I fell in love with how you guys worked so perfectly together and you were a team for what? A month? I fell in love with that sort of commitment and companionship.. and that's something I lack. I promised Steve I would adjust my behavior and I'd try my best to work together, as a unit like he says. But I didn't. I didn't try that hard.. and so far, all that came from that was deception. I disappointed him, not once or twice, more than that.. I can't allow it to happen again. I can't fail on him again. I can't." Kate was very categorical and her words were so true, so sincere, so real that Kono didn't know what to say.

Kate's took a deep breath then turned her attention to what she was doing before and that's when her eyes landed on her clutch bag that was wide open - and the earplug was there. She knew, right there, that her private conversation with Kono, wasn't that private..

"I'm sorry," Kate said after a moment in silence. "I shouldn't have poured my frustration on you, especially now.. Just, forget it."

Taking her gloss again, Kate suddenly felt her stomach in knots and she really wanted to puke, even though she hadn't eaten a thing.

"C'mon.. We're missing the party," she said, shoving that damn earbud into her left ear before walking through the doors.

.

Kate let out a sigh when she noticed what was waiting for her; Christopher Cahill was standing pretty close to the ladies' toilet. With slow footsteps, she stood by his side, her eyes going through the whole place but she didn't find Steve anywhere.

"There you are," he said calmly and with a smile that made her frown. "Richard's still not here.. Wanna dance milady?"

He bowed and faked a British tone that made some people that were around to look at him in awe. Kate forgot how charming that man could be and, even though she wanted to avoid any unnecessary time with him, she found herself taking his hand and allowed him to drag her to the dance floor. There was some slow music playing, but she didn't recognize it.

"So," he whispered once they were slowly moving through the dance floor. "Steve McGarrett.. Lucky guy."

"Don't even start it," she replied, not looking at him since he had her so close to his body.

"I'm not starting anything," he said, moving them on to a different direction.

Kate inhaled deeply. She wanted to stop, but he tightened his grip on her hand and her back so he could lead all the way.

"How bad do you want him?"

"What?" This time, the two of them stopped and she took a small step back to look in his goddamned blue eyes. They were nothing like Steve's. They were like two huge Safire's with the purest of all blues. And she felt something growing within her.

"You know what I'm asking," he said pulling her back to him and restarting their slow pace. "How hooked up are you?"

Kate wanted to make that stop; she didn't want to hear another word because she knew that everyone was hearing them. But Cahill wouldn't let her go.

"That is none of your business," she hissed through her teeth.

"You're right," he said, pushing her apart just enough so he could make her spin. "It's none of my business.. Honestly, this is most definitely anyone's business but yours."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kate asked defiantly.

"Seriously, Kate? You want **me** to tell you?"

Cahill's mystery was starting to get on her nerves. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you," he said calmly. "I am talking about how you keep everyone at safe distance all the time and how you push people away when they get too close to you.."

Kate felt her body shivering and she could feel the blood leaving her face. Even her body stiffened and Cahill noticed that reaction.

"Tell me you're not doing the exact same thing again. Tell me you're not pushing him away, just like you pushed _me_ away when we got too close." Kate could feel something pounding on her ears when he said those words. Dear Lord she was screwed.

"There was never you and me, Christopher. Never.."

"There wasn't because you never gave us a chance," he said matter-of-factly. The music had changed but they didn't seem to notice it. "You choose to shut me off. You choose that you didn't want me around, and you blamed that on my acts, my choices. I'd choose to save your life any other day. **You know it**. But you didn't want to let me in and that's why you choose to get mad at me and convinced yourself I did something bad when I didn't. I get it. I won't say I'm over it, but I know why you did that. But you need to stop avoiding this kind of contact, Catherine.. You need to stop."

Kate went speechless for about a minute. There were other couples around, dancing, but Kate and Cahill weren't. They stopped moving and were just standing there, looking at each other.

She couldn't believe he said that. Her brain was having one hell of a hard time to process that he had actually said that, at that moment, when everyone could hear every single word he was saying. Was he trying to make her life miserable? For a minute, he succeeded.

"What I do with my life, that's my problem. I make my choices and I deal with them. You should try that too," Kate said when she finally found her voice again. "You should deal with your choices instead of blaming me for your lack of courage. If we never had anything, that's not something you can come around and hold me responsible for. As far as I remember, it takes two to have a relationship."

"So you're admitting you liked me."

"I never said I didn't," Kat said quietly. "But things changed."

"You're in love with McGarrett," Cahill said, and that was not a question.

Kate never answered that. Maybe it was because everyone was listening, maybe it was because she sort of feared that L-word, but Kate didn't say a word. She just stared at Cahill until Chin spoke in their ears.

"Guys," Chin's voice came through everyone's earbud. "Fairbanks has arrived."

Cahill still looked at Kate for about five more seconds, before she blinked and muttered a "let's go", and just like that, he knew he was right. He knew she had fallen head over heels in love with the Five-0 leader.

. . .


	33. Chapter 33

**Aloha sailors**

****Thank you everyone who's reading this, has reviewed, favorited and/or alerted this story so far! You guys are awesome and I appreciate every single one of you**!**

**Special thanks to **_SuggarMuffin08_ **- you know why ;) Mahalo nui loa, darling!**

_There's something I'd like to let you all know before you start reading this.. I am not pleased nor content with this Chapter for the simple fact that I had to rewrite the whole thing because I deleted the first version of it shortly after I finished it. _Yes, I did it._ _And the first version of it was so nice and I was so happy about that.._ then I accidentally deleted it ._. I didn't mean to but it happened and it was hell. BUT, because I promised my beloved friend that I would update it soon, I decided to suck it up and start working again.. but, no matter how many times I tried to edit, fix something here and there, it never felt right so.. _I'm sorry if it's crappy_. I take full responsibility on it_..

* * *

><p>Kate felt glad and relieved when no one mentioned that very uncomfortable talk they had heard. She wanted to kick the crap out of Cahill for that, but, right now, she needed to be professional, after all, the main reason why they were there had finally appeared.<p>

Richard Fairbanks.

Cahill was once again holding her by the waist and Kate was this close to nudge him when a huge guy showed up, out of nowhere.

"Mr. Cahill, Mr. Fairbanks is here."

Kate glanced at Cahill and, apparently he knew who that wardrobe was because the next thing she knows is that she's walking by Cahill's side with that man in front of them.

"Danny?" Kate's voice wasn't louder than a whisper when she called for the blonde. The man that just announced Richard's presence had a very strong Australian accent.

"On your right," he answered rather calmly; and she looked to her right the exact same time when Cahill called Mr. Lucca.

The four of them plus the unknown guy were a few meters away from Fairbanks when he looked at them and waved. At first, Kate thought he was waving at that linebacker that was escorting them, but then, she noticed he was actually waving to the man by her side.

Kate couldn't not notice the man's wardrobe. He was wearing a fancy black suit, bow tie, dress shirt, but he was wearing something that she thought it was a scarf. In her personal opinion, she thought that that man was watching too many movies. If he was in Sweden, Finland, maybe the United Kingdom, that could fir, but in Hawaii, that was just odd.

When the small group joined Richard Fairbanks, Kate had her game face on and her small smile was back.

"Mr. Cahill," the Australian man said shaking his hand quite enthusiastically. "I'm very glad to finally meet you."

"It is my pleasure, sir," Cahill replied with his best charming smile. Kate wondered how he could do that. He seemed to be so comfortable in that place while she just wanted to get out of there as soon as it was possible.

"And who's this beautiful lady?" he asked taking her hand in his and, just like everyone else, kissing it. By that time, Kate was used to that..

"Hi, I'm Kim," Kate answered as gently and politely as she could, flashing the man her best, and hopefully, most realistic, smile. Apparently, it was enough. "Valentine."

"It is very nice meeting you, Miss Valentine," Fairbanks said and Kate found herself sliding one arm around Cahill's waist and poking his back, praying that he'd understand that as a sign to cut that crap and just go to the important part. Thankfully, Cahill got the message.

"There's someone who wants to meet you, sir," Cahill said and, with a wave of his hand, Danny appeared by his side. "This is Mr. Anthony Lucca," he said indicating the Jersey detective.

Fairbanks's attitude went from relaxed to impressed. It didn't exactly surprised Kate when she noticed that Richard Fairbanks was slightly astonished when he heard Lucca's surname. Theoretically speaking, Anthony Lucca and Richard Fairbanks were the same kind and it was only natural that the Australian guy would want to meet the Italian.

"This is a big night, isn't it? It is a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Lucca," Fairbanks said and his voice showed so much respect for the guy.

"_Grazie_," Danny replied. His Italian accent at its finest. "It is my pleasure, _Signore_ Fairbanks."

The two men exchanged a smile. Cahill noticed that was his best chance to talk to Fairbanks. He looked at Kate and, somehow, she understood what he tried to tell her with his eyes.

"I'm gonna get something to drink," she said suddenly, yet very in character. "Do you want something.. darling?"

"Thanks, babe, I'm good."

Cahill smiled at her and leaned just a little to kiss her, now in the cheek.

"Don't push it," Kate whispered in his ear. When they separated, her smile was all over her face and, excusing herself, Kate let go of Cahill so she could walk to the bar.

Kono understood what the plan was and, doing exactly like Kate, she muttered some excuses and followed her lead.

"Here we go," Kono said slightly amused and Kate smiled. She wanted so badly for that thing to be over..

.

"So, Mr. Cahill, I heard a lot about you," Fairbanks spoke not too long after Kate and Kono left. "I must admit, some things got me impressed; and people rarely impress me.."

Cahill chuckled. "Well, I am flattered," he said calmly. "Even though I don't actually like it when people talk about me.."

Kate was hearing that conversation considerably away from them and she felt a shiver down her spine when she heard those words. She just hoped that Cahill wouldn't ruin everything.. Kono noticed the sudden tension in her shoulders and asked for two sodas. Handing one glass to Kate, the Asian woman gave her one reassuring look, quietly telling her to relax. That would be impossible, but Kate tried to look calm.

"Really?" Fairbanks spoke and, if Kate heard it right, he was a bit curious about Cahill's statement. "How so?"

"Words can be tricky," Cahill said simply. "They can be misinterpreted, giving a simple thing a totally different meaning, not to mention that they are easily manipulated so others might hear something that didn't actually happen, or happened differently."

Kate unconsciously held her breath when he said that. What the hell he was trying to do? Was he that much stupid? But she relaxed a little when she heard Fairbanks's chuckle.

"What is it that people say? Great minds think alike.. But I not only heard about you, Mr. Cahill. I also read and I got to see some things too. And that's why I said I'm impressed. You were Interpol."

"Yes," Cahill said simply. "I worked on the other side.. until I got kicked out."

Fairbanks chuckled. Apparently, he didn't care about Cahill's past as an agent of the law. But then again, Kate got to see the file that Fairbanks surely had access and again, that wasn't exactly a shock.

"I heard a lot about you as well, Mr. Lucca.. How do you feel about it?"

"I don't mind the talking," Danny replied confidently, making Kate and Kono smile. Anthony Lucca was this Italian guy with lots of personality, but hearing Danny act that confident, maybe a little bit arrogant was something very new to Kate. "I can always get rid of the ones who spread false statements."

Kate needed to admit that Danny's performance was probably the most amazing thing she had seen that night. He didn't sound like the detective she knew at all. The man could be a fine actor in her opinion.

"Gentlemen, _perdonami_ if I'm being, what is the word.. straightforward? But, Mr. Fairbanks, there's, uh- _una questione importante_, an important matter I'd like to discuss with you, if you don't mind."

"Sure," Fairbanks said rather quickly. "Let's take it somewhere quieter."

When Kate and Kono looked at where the three men were standing, she only saw their backs as they disappeared on a large corridor. The two women exchanged a curious look when they saw that.

Kate was so caught up on that conversation and trying to keep the act with Kono that she didn't notice James White approaching her; he had his eyes on her right profile for a while now.

"Can I get you a drink, Miss Valentine?" White spoke in a low tone and so close to Kate that she felt heart stop beating for a moment. It took her a couple of seconds to react to that.

"Oh, that's.. very nice of you, Mr. White," she replied, not so cheerfully when her eyes landed on the empty glass she was holding.

Kate could feel Kono's eyes locked on her, but she couldn't turn, not when James White was studying her every reaction. It took him a moment to break the eye contact and turn to the bartender.

As soon as he did that, Kate noticed Steve coming to her direction. He had his eyes on Kate and White. Afraid of what he could do, Kate mouthed "I got this" behind White's back while he was ordering their drinks. Steve had just nodded when the Australian looked back at Kate, with a glass of champagne in his hands.

"There you go, madam.."

"Thanks," she replied, taking the glass with a smile. White held his own glass as if waiting for a toast so Kate touched it with her own.

"Cheers," he said and took a sip of the sparkly beverage.

Kate copied his movements but she didn't drink it. Instead, she just let the liquid touch her lips and then she quickly placed the glass on the counter.

"It's Kim, right?" Kate had opened her mouth to say '_it's Kimberly_', but White didn't let her go any further. "Would you like to dance?"

Kate slightly widened her eyes. "Uh- As you know, Mr. White, I'm with someone and I don't think it's appropriate.."

"Right, but.. I don't see Christopher anywhere," he replied looking around.

Kate swallowed. Thankfully, her phone rang inside her clutch bag at that exact same time. She had no idea who was calling but she loved whoever it was.

"Oh, excuse me," Kate muttered as she took a couple of steps away from him. Looking at her phone, she noticed it was Kono.

"Thank you so much," she said when she answered it, walking through the people so she could get to the ladies' toilet.

"Don't mention it," Kono replied cheerfully.

Kate had just reached the door when Fairbanks's voice spoke again. She was so glad that they didn't say anything while she had to deal with that White guy..

"So, Mr. Lucca, tell me... How can I help you?" Fairbanks asked, using a professional tone. "I have to say, it was only when I was told you would attend this event that I decided to fly to this Island."

They all knew that Richard Fairbanks wasn't in Hawaii, but it came as a surprise when he told he was there because of the Italian guy. If Anthony wasn't there, he wouldn't be there either? Wasn't that freakin' party organized by him, or his associates? That was odd.

"I'm... flattered," Danny replied. "And I hope you can help me. I am looking for something that might cause a huge impact in terms of fire power. And since I am here and you are here and time is a valuable thing, I thought, maybe you could have something."

There was a moment of silence and it was getting on Kate's nerves that when the toilet door went open, it startled her.

"Hey, it's me," Kono said when she noticed Kate's tensed body.

"Hey," she replied feeling a little less nervous. All her attention was focused on what she was hearing - if she had to be in that party, Kate doubted she would be able to maintain her cover the whole time, and it just proved right when she heard Fairbanks's voice again and she turned her sole attention to that dialogue.

"Well.. I can think of some things," the Australian said calmly. "But I'm afraid I don't have anything at hand. I'll need a couple of days to bring it here for a demonstration or an exhibition."

Everyone's reaction was the same; Chin, Kate, Kono, Steve, Danny and Cahill were surprised with what they all had heard. Fairbanks had nothing in Hawaii, so, unless the man was one big fat liar, they were missing something because Ackleman and White had plenty fire power in Kate and Chin's opinion.

"Two days?" Danny asked intrigued.

"Approximately, yes. I need to fly them from Australia," Fairbanks informed simply. "Unless you rather go to Australia, it's really up to you."

"I heard that the Australians had business in Hawaii, and, unless the definition of attack is now different, I assumed you'd have weaponry here."

To say that they all held their breaths, waiting for how Richard Fairbanks would respond to that, was one huge understatement. Everyone involved in that undercover operation had knots in their stomach. The suspense was barely unbearable.

"I'm gonna quote Mr. Cahill here and say _'words can be tricky'_," Fairbanks said after what seemed to be an eternity. "I can assure you, Mr. Lucca, that I have no interest whatsoever in this Island. Well, maybe as a vacation spot, but other than that, I'm afraid not.. But, you're not all wrong," he continued just as calm as he had always been. "I'm not working on anything here, but there are a few men with pending business here, so I believe that's it. Just a misunderstanding."

That wasn't enlightening at all. If anything, Kate only had more questions and she just knew that she wasn't the only one. Kono was looking at her with this confused expression.

"Well, than maybe you could give me a name so I could contact this person," Danny said casually. "I'm not going to stay here much longer and really didn't want to leave with empty hands."

"Sure," Fairbanks agreed simply. "His name's Kevin Rohner. I haven't seen him here though.."

"_Grazie_, _Signore_ Fairbanks," Danny replied politely. "Uh- can I contact you, in the near future in case I get nothing?" Danny's question was a very well played move. He knew that this thing could not end that soon and maybe they'd need Fairbanks in the near future.

"Of course," Fairbanks replied rather cheerfully.

"_Grazie_, we'll be in touch," Danny said. He just wanted to get the hell out of there so he could talk to everyone else. That was one very interesting talk, even though it didn't bring any answers to their questions. "Now, if you excuse me, I need to find my date. Mr. Cahill, Mr. Fairbanks.."

With that, Danny left the two men alone and walked back to the main room. "I don't know what you guys think but that was enlightening," he said sarcastically once he was away from that room.

"Do you think he's telling the truth?" Kono asked; she had just voiced what Kate was thinking.

"Well, I don't think he's lying," Danny replied, not exactly happy with that thought,

"Great. What do we do now?" Kono asked annoyed. No one was happy with that.

Kate's mind was working through everything she had heard and then, she came to realize that Danny had left Cahill and Fairbanks alone. "Danny, where's Cahill?"

Her mind was working faster than she could process but she couldn't shake the thought that she didn't trust Cahill enough to leave him alone with a man like Richard Fairbanks. She needed to do something.

"An office near the stair. Second door on the right."

Kate walked to the door and she just about to leave when Kono stopped her.

"Kate, what do you think you'll do?"

"I don't think. I will do. I'm going there," she said flatly. "If something happens, anything, I'll get in."

"Don't even think about it." That was Steve. And, judging by his tone, he wasn't the least bit happy.

"Steve-"

"I'll figure something out. You'll stand out, standing by the door; you'll draw a lot of attention, so don't. Please."

Kate rolled her eyes. She was tired of being just an ornament in that godforsaken place. But, she knew that Steve was probably right, so she agreed.

"Alright," she said through her teeth. "I won't do anything.."

"Great."

.

After Danny left, Cahill stood there with the man his agency was targeting, and yet, he had just learned that he had nothing to do in Hawaii. Talk about an anticlimax.

Cahill felt like all his hopes to get that guy in custody had being torn to shreds. But he didn't go through hell the past years to give up like that.

"So," he said just a bit loud so the others would stop talking. He could hear everything and now, he just wanted them to shut up. He needed to think and he needed to be fast. "Mr. Fairbanks.. Forgive me but, if you don't have any interests in Hawaii, then.. Why Ackleman was here?"

"What?" Fairbank's reaction was so sudden that Cahill didn't think he could have faked that. "George is here?"

"You.. really don't know, do you?"

"Know what? What are you talking about?"

To Cahill's desperation, the man seemed to be clueless - and, judging by his wide opened eyes, he was definite not faking it.

"George Ackleman is dead," Cahill announced emotionless. "He was killed while trying to have access to a deposit."

"What deposit?"

"A storage deposit by the pier.. You didn't send him." Cahill wasn't asking.

"If I didn't send Ackleman? No."

"Huh.. I think I must have misinterpreted the information then," Cahill said with a shrug. "See what I mean about _talking_.."

"Why did you ask if I send Ackleman, Mr. Cahill?" Fairbanks asked curiously and Cahill noticed he was clearly bothered with that conversation.

"Because that's what I heard," Cahill said calmly, but on the inside, he wasn't calm at all. "I heard your name in some conversations and Ackleman is your right arm."

"And you heard it from who?"

"Ackleman himself." That was one big fat lie. He had never heard a word from Ackleman, but he was willing to bet his life that, whatever was going on, Ackleman would have answers. Just like White, but he kept his name out of it. "And some men who work for Barker." That was true. He heard a couple of men that he knew that worked for Barker; even though the men were low ranked pawns, Cahill didn't think twice before saying it. It would buy him some time to get to White - if Fairbanks didn't walk across him in that goddamned party..

"I guess I'm gonna take Mr. Lucca's words and get rid of those who spread lies.."

Right there, Cahill knew that Danny was definitely the right choice to provide a face to the name 'Anthony Lucca', but he was a bit worried about White's situation.. Cahill only hoped that Kate was still the agent he knew and had understood his move - by keeping White out of that conversation he hoped that she got the message and went after White before Fairbanks did.

.

Kate had been listening to that conversation back into the big room, full of people, but she managed to stay the less visible it was possible in a corner, where she had a clear view to the stairs across the room. And when she heard Cahill mentioning he heard about Fairbanks from Ackleman, she knew what he had in mind and she knew what she had to do - find James White.

That shouldn't be a problem since the man was trying to make a move on her during the whole night, so, get to him would be easy.

With long and determined steps, Kate left the place she was standing for the past couple of minutes, maybe more, as her eyes scanned the whole room. She didn't even notice Steve who was nearby; her eyes were looking for the other tall, athletic, dark haired guy - the one with brown eyes who also tried to kill her.

"Kate, what are you doing?" Kate registered Steve's startled voice and his question but she didn't respond right away. "Kate!"

"I need to find White," she said flatly as she continued her search for the man. _C'mon.. When she doesn't want to be found, the man is everywhere, but when she needs to find him, he vanishes!_ "I need to find him before Fairbanks does." Or his men. She had no idea if Richard Fairbanks had men at his service there - it was very likely that he had. And she also had no clue who was working directly for him so she needed to find that man fast. Really fast.

Steve and now Danny and Kono were speaking on her ear, but Kate was more focused on finding James White.. And there he was. Finally.

She noticed he was with two other men near a balcony. That was it. She didn't even have time to work a plan - her mind was working so damn fast and the voices in her ear weren't helping.

"Look, guys. We need White," Kate said quickly. Time wasn't on her side since she had spotted Richard Fairbanks coming from the corridor Danny mentioned about a minute ago. Actually, she doubted that there was a thing on their side. "We have question to which we want answers; and James White will provide that. So please, stop talking for a moment. I need to think."

To her surprise, the voices stopped. Taking a deep breath, Kate walked with long steps towards White and whoever were those men.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," she said approaching them with her best flirty voice and charming smile. The things she would do to end that nightmare.. "Mr. White, once you have a moment, I'd like to have that dance.."

Bingo! In less than a heartbeat White dismissed the men he was talking to and turned his attention to her.

"I have a moment now," he said with a huge grin as he took her hand in his while his other hand landed on her hips. Kate would have to suck it up if she wanted that night to end up with at least one good outcome.

White guided them to where some couples were dancing when Kate's eyes noticed a scarf swirling somewhere nearby and she noticed that Richard was less than three meters from them.

"You know," she said coming to a halt. "This place is too crowded. Why don't we go somewhere.. quieter?"

Kate heard people gasping and she would do that herself if she wasn't too focused on taking White out of Fairbanks's sight.

"I like that idea even better," White answered suggestively, as she felt the hand that was on her hip go a little down.

"Good," she said trying to get rid of that contact. It was grossing her out. "Are you driving?"

White didn't answer; he just grabbed her by the hand and took her with him towards the front door. Looking back for a second, she noticed Richard at the same place. Apparently, he didn't see them.

When White went talking to the valet, Kate took that time to brief everyone on what she was about to do.

"Okay, guys, I'm leaving and I'm taking White out. Chin, I'm gonna need backup." She would need that so badly. Leaving with a hitman; that should be the icing on the cake. She would be so screwed if anyone followed them.

Kate had just whispered those words rather quickly when White returned with some keys dangling in his fingers right in front of her eyes.

"So, Miss Kim Valentine.. Shall we?" he asked with that disgusting grin plastered on his face.

"Only if I get to drive," she said seductively. If she was the one behind the steering than she could have some leverage. Thankfully, White wasn't exactly thinking with his upper head because the next thing Kate noticed was White holding the keys between his thumb and forefinger.

"If that's the only way.."

Before he could give that a second thought, Kate pulled the keys out of his hand. Walking around this Jaguar, she muttered once again, now feeling a lot more hopeful. "Okay, I'm leaving.."

"I'll be right behind you." Chin's voice came like this heavenly song in her ears.

Jumping behind the wheel, Kate turned the engine on and, less than a minute later, she was driving out of that fancy mansion.

.

Danny and Kono followed Kate shortly. They could still see the rear lights of the Jaguar when the jumped on Danny's Camaro.

Cahill didn't stay behind; as soon as he heard what Kate was doing, he went after Agents Connor and Porter, told them to stay put and find something else that could be useful to that investigation and he left the house as soon as he could.

Steve also managed to sneak out of that - there was no way in hell they would leave Kate alone with that guy. She would have plenty of backup.

.

To Kate's misery, driving had the bonus side of having advantage. She could drive them anywhere. But it also had a disadvantage..

She was driving for a few minutes, her eyes always locked on the rearview mirror, looking for Chin when she felt a hand landing on her thigh, right above her knee.

Kate looked at the man by her side with only the corner of her eye and she felt her blood boiling when she acknowledged the insinuation.

"So, where are we going, _hon_?"

Kate wanted to do four things: stop the car, punch him on the face, kick him in the jewels and shoot him on his dick. But instead, she just took a deep breath and, reminding herself of the bigger purpose, she just put up her fake smile.

"You can't tell where we are?"

She wasn't actually talking to White. She was trying to communicate with Chin. Kate was driving with the solely purpose of finding the check point where the HPD cars would be, and Chin hadn't say a word in about a minute; to Kate, who was having to deal with this disgusting man by her side, it was an eternity. True that White wasn't hideous, on the contraire, he looked slightly like this guy she once saw on TV, doing Friday Night Lights or whatever it was the show that her brother watched, but the truth was, she held grudges. He was a hitman, tried to kill her, send an Officer to the hospital AND was trying to take advantage on her, so, the man could be Brad Pitt, she would still want to kick the crap out of him. But that thought lightened when she heard Chin's voice again.

"Two more blocks," he said calmly. "There will be three HPD patrols. And I'm right behind you, Kate. Don't worry."

She was about to get just a little bit happier when she felt White's hand traveling toward the middle of her thigh. Kate hadn't even covered a block but her foot hit the gas pedal with strength when his hand were now touching the inner part of her legs. That was it. He had gone too far and Kate couldn't do nothing but watching everything that defined her as a focused FBI Agent being thrown out of the window.

"Woah.. Someone is in a hurry," White said and just his luck that the three HPD cars appeared right there, because, otherwise, Kate would have taken care of that guy with her bare hands.

With that car, Kate was easily above 70 miles per hour when she slammed the brakes with all her strength, causing White to bring his hands to his face, in attempt to protect it from a possible collision with the dashboard, which never happened since he was wearing the seatbelt - sadly.

"HPD! Put your hands where I can see them. NOW!"

Chin and the six HPD Officers surrounded the car. With shotguns pointed to him, White found himself doing as they said.

Kate took off her seatbelt and undid White's as well just in time when Chin opened the door and pulled him out of the car.

White was about to say something but Chin slammed him against the side of his own vehicle and put the handcuffs around his wrists.

"Shut up!" he hollered; the cuffs more tight than it was necessary. "You'll talk when we say you can talk, now shut your mouth, you scumbag."

White glared at Chin when the Asian man turned him so he could face him. Chin could see the vein in his temple pulsing and it was quite obvious he wasn't enjoying that. And it became even more obvious when he saw Kate walking calmly towards him. No cuffs, no Officers all around her.

"You bitch.. You set me up.."

Kate had this blank look in her eyes and she seemed oddly calm so no one saw it when she closed her right hand in a fist. They only noticed that when her fist hit his jaw and it made an awful sound, followed by White's howl.

"This is for calling me a bitch and for not keeping your hands on yourself," she said simply, smiling when she saw the blood on the corner of his mouth. She just turned her back to White and kept walking while he continued to call her all sorts of names.

Kate was walking to the dark SUV that she knew it was Chin's when she saw two very familiar figures standing there; their mouths were slightly open. It was Danny and Kono. They got there right in time to see Kate's fighter skills.

**xxx**

Steve and Cahill were the last ones to get to the Five-0 Headquarters, and they went straight to the Interrogation Room where they knew Chin was holding James White.

They had so many questions they wanted to ask, so many thing they could think of, but the first thing that came out of Steve's mouth, voicing his and Cahill's thoughts was: "what the hell happened?"

As soon as the walker through the heavy doors, they found James White cuffed to the chair, the left side of his face swollen with this nasty bruise and his white dress shirt stained with blood. That was not how he left the mansion.

Chin walked across the room with this amused smile on his face. "Kate happened," he said simply, and his smile grew wider when he realized they had the same look that every single HPD Office had when they saw what happened. "If you don't believe, ask Danny and Kono.. They were there, and they saw the whole thing."

"Wha.. How.." Steve was having a little bit of a trouble to speak after that revelation.

"He insulted her, and tried to take advantage of her. I don't blame her," he said with a shrug.

Steve was processing all that information when White spoke, and he realized how that bothered him.

"Hey, that bitch s-"

"HEY! SHUT UP!" He yelled at the man on the chair. Steve didn't mind keeping his voice low. Not that he ever did such thing, but he didn't mind if he would destroy his eardrum. "Unless you want to have a matching bruise on the left side, I suggest you to only speak when you're asked to."

Steve had his finger pointed to White; his hand was so dangerously close to his face and he seemed to be as controlled as the woman who punched him so he decided to do as he said and keep his mouth shut. Steve frowned inwardly. He was sort of jealous of Kate for punching the guy; right now, he wanted to do just the same and he almost wished that White had a little bit more courage and retorted.

"Did you get anything?" Steve went back to Chin.

"Nothing," he admitted sadly. "He's not saying anything."

Steve shifted his glance to the man on the chair. He looked like a wreck. "Alright.. Let's see if I can make him talk.."

.

"Hey, how's the hand?" Kono asked when she found Kate lying on the couch of Danny's Office. For some unknown reason, that was the first place she went to after they got back to the HQ. Danny and Chin went taking James White to the Interrogation Room while Kono and Kate turned all the machines on. Something was telling them they would have a fun night in the office.

"Well," she said looking at it. It was swollen, red and hurting like hell. "It's still here.."

Kono chuckled mildly. "You should go have it checked, you know," she said walking inside the room and sitting on the chair in front of Danny's desk. "See if it's broken."

"I'll do it when we're done here," she said firmly as she changed to a seated position. Just in time to see Danny returning from the IR.

"Hey, Rocky.. How is your hand?"

Kate rolled her eyes but she had a genuine smile on her face. It was so incredibly good to be out of that circus.

"It is fine," she said faking an annoyed tone, but glad that this was their subject now. Her hand and not a bunch of Australians.

"It doesn't look fine to me," he said sitting by her side. "Here, let me see it."

Kate looked at Danny with an arched eyebrow, but allowed him to take her hand.

"What? You're a doctor on your free ti- AW!" The pain that shot through her hand and even her arm when Danny squeezed her bruised knuckles was so sharp that made all her thoughts disappear and she concentrated in only one thing - the hurt. "Daniel Williams, what the hell?"

"Sorry about that," he said with such soft tone and his eyes were so tender that Kate's anger faded. "It might be broken," Danny said and Kate just gave him a look that silently said _"oh-really-tell-me-more"_. It was quite funny but Danny knew better than to laugh. "It looks pretty bad and nasty.. Wait here."

Kate watched as he went to his desk, opened a drawer and took some pills from an orange plastic container.

"Here," he said putting two white pills in her hands as he went taking a glass of water. "They're painkillers. Take them, it'll help with the, well, pain.."

"Yes, dad," she said playfully, swallowing the medicine and drinking the water that Danny was handing her.

She had just gave the glass back to Danny when she noticed Steve and Cahill walking through the glass doors and, without acknowledging their presence there, they marched straight to the Interrogation Room. That was it. Break time was over.

Kate stood up quickly, followed by Danny and Kono and she made her way to the smart table that was now on. She didn't type three words when her hand started to hurt again.

"Okay, what are we looking for?" Kono asked, gently pushing Kate aside so she could take over the whole researching thing. Danny had gone back into his office, looking for something else in the drawers.

"James White is a criminal. He has this rap sheet that's just as big as you and me. He's a hitman who works for the Australians, and, honestly, they are not known for being kind," she told Kono; Danny still lost in his office. "He won't tell anything because he knows what awaits him. He has nothing to lose. Now, we need to find something that will make him talk."

"Blackmail," Danny said returning with something that was now very familiar to Kate. Bandages. And some sort of lotion. "That's good."

She addressed a glance at Danny, but he didn't seem to register that; instead, he just took her right hand in his and started rubbing some of that lotion. It was cold but then it started to burn and it made Kate pull it out of Danny's hands.

"Will you stop being a child? I'm trying to help," he said taking her hand back in his and, this time, holding her wrist more firmly.

"Since when you're a nurse?" Kate asked with a pout and Danny chuckled.

"I am not a nurse," Danny replied, putting more of that weird thing in her hand that was starting to annoy her. "But since I started working with McGarrett I became almost an specialist in getting shot at and all sorts of injures that a partnership with that crazy animal might cause to my health.. And now that you're here, I got a feeling that my knowledge might be very useful."

Kate looked at Danny with this unamused expression, and she punched him on the shoulder very lightly, causing him to chuckle while he started putting the bandages on.

"Anyways," she turned back to Kono, who was already working on digging into White's life. "It has to be something big, important. Something that makes him fear its loss."

"That won't be easy," Kono whispered while continuing with her search.

"Tell me about it.. I'll make some phone calls," she said when Danny had already finished wrapping her hand.

More bandages. That could not become a habit, Kate thought to herself.

.

"You think this is funny? Huh? ANSWER THE GODDAMNED QUESTION!"

Steve had been trying to make White talk for the past five minutes, maybe more, but he get just as much as Chin. Nothing. White just would not talk. And Steve's thin patience was long gone now.

Nothing in his posture or attitude encouraged people to stand less than two feet of distance from Steve McGarrett, but Cahill took the risk and approached the Five-0 leader.

"Commander," he said in a low tone right behind Steve. "A word please."

Steve inhaled deeply but he turned his back to White and walked with Cahill a few steps away from the Australian.

"Do you mind if I try?"

Steve raised an eyebrow at him. "If I mind if you try? No. Of course not. Go ahead." His answer was sarcastically and quite acid, sort of unlike him, but he didn't mind. It wasn't like he and Cahill were best friends anyways.

Cahill didn't seem to register the tone, and if he did, he didn't seem to mind either, because he just turned his back to Steve and walked to White.

"Christopher Cahill.. I knew you were still a cop."

Those were the first words White uttered ever since he tried to insult Kate again.

"Well, good for you," Cahill retorted coldly. "Why are you here? We already know that Fairbanks didn't send you. Who did?"

"Just so you know, you are a dead man walking," White said surprisingly amused. "And I swear to you that, even if I die, someone's coming after you, your _mates_ and, especially that hot girlfriend of your.."

Cahill didn't let him finish that sentence and he took his bruised jaw in his hands and squeezed it. Hard.

White shouted all sorts of names they could think of and even some that they had no idea what it meant, but most definitely weren't pretty. All three men just watched as their suspect panted, trying to breath through the pain - he probably had a broken jaw and it was probably hurting like hell.

"Okay. Now that the little girl is done with the empty threats, let's try again. You tell us what you know and maybe we'll arrange for you to stay the rest of your life behind bars, in a maximum security facility yet, away from your Aussie mates," Cahill said calmly but he seemed to be pretty serious, not to mention he was quite mad. "And, since there's no women here to cloud your judgment, I'd suggest you to think carefully because this offer won't last long.."

"Go fuck yourself," White hissed and, after that, he went mute again.

.

Steve was standing by the door, barely processing Cahill's attempt to make the guy talk - this far, failing just as epic as his try - when he heard a soft knock.

Addressing a quick glance at Chin who was standing in the back of the room, he opened the door and, before he could react, he found himself being pulled out of the IR.

"Kate?"

"Hi. How's everything? Did you guys get something?"

Steve took that moment to have a deep breath and, pinching the bridge of his nose, let out a sigh of frustration. "No. Nothing," he admitted weakly. "He's not exactly cooperating."

Kate's eyes landed on the man still wearing his white suit and bow tie. He looked mesmerizing but so incredibly frustrated.

"Here," she said handing him an envelope. "Try this."

Steve took the envelope in his hands and, with curious eyes, opened it to find out what was inside. There were some papers and a few pictures.

"James White has a daughter," Kate informed when Steve's eyes landed on the first picture. It was a little girl, she should be around five, maybe six, seven tops and, except for the golden hair, she looked exactly like White. "Her name's Reina and she lives with her mother, Lynn Laurens, in Switzerland." Steve switched the picture and he saw a woman hugging the little girl, Reina. "I spoke with some friends in Switzerland and Hungary, which is where Lynn lived with her daughter a few years back, and they said White used to visit his daughter every once in a while, but it eventually stopped. Lynn found out about White's business and she took the girl away from him. It's been about two years since White last saw his child.. She's sick" Steve raised his eyes from the pictures and looked at Kate. "Reina has cancer. The family can't afford the treatment and, according to the child's mother, James White doesn't know. She also said he cared about her but, when she found out what he did for a living, she couldn't allow her to be close to that life, so that's why she took her away. White didn't argue or tried to make her change her mind. Apparently, he cares about the girl.. Maybe you can make him talk now," she suggested, pointing the other papers Steve was holding. "These are the tests and exams of Reina, just in case he doesn't believe your words.. He answers our questions, the girl gets treatment."

Steve shifted his eyes from the papers and photos that Kate had brought to Kate herself then back to the new information.

"That's.. Great. How did you find it?"

"Well, Kono had to dig pretty deep, I had to make a bunch of phone calls.."

"Thanks," he said looking deep in her eyes. Maybe they would finally get something.

"Don't mention it."

"So, do you want to come in?" Steve asked indicating the interrogation room.

Kate bit her lip. She wanted that, of course she wanted.. "No, thank you." But she declined. And that made Steve widened his eyes. "I need to go back and see if Danny and Kono need my help. You know as much as we do. You'll be fine.. Right?"

"Right," Steve replied dubiously. That was unexpected and, honestly, very unlike her. She told him once that she would prefer to do things herself instead of having other people to do it. Kate said it. Her words. And now she was turning that offer down?

"Okay.. So, if we find anything, we'll let you know," she said taking a step back. "And if you need anything, just tell us."

With a small smile, Kate turned her back to Steve and made her way back to where she had come from.

Steve just watched as she walked away from him. That was new. Just like her right hand that he noticed it had bandages, meaning she did punch White, that attitude of hers was something that Steve never saw it coming. And he was still going through that thought when his eyes found the picture again and he put those thoughts about Kate on hold so he could focus on what they all needed to know - why James White was there. And who sent him.

. . .

* * *

><p><em>Again. My apologies if it was lousy.. But mahalo everyone!<em>


	34. Chapter 34

**Aloha everyone!  
><strong>

**Thank you to those brave little soldiers who are still with me. Here's another chapter and I hope you enjoy it! Oh - Feedback is alway highly aprpeciated ;)  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Steve, Chin and Cahill walked out of the Interrogation Room approximately 30 minutes after Kate practically yanked Steve out of the dark room. It took them a while to break White's resistance but, when he learned about his daughter's sickness and when Steve offered treatment to the girl in exchange of information, he decided to cooperate.<p>

They locked White in the Interrogation Room so they could join Danny, Kono and Kate to share the information they just got but, as soon as the big room entered their sight, they only saw two people - Danny and Kono.

"Where's Kate?" Steve asked, furrowing his brows while looking from Danny to Kono then scanning the whole room. The DC woman was nowhere to be found.

"Right here," she replied, her voice coming from a small corridor and when she appeared, her face was clean, no make-up. Kate had gone to the bathroom to wash her face. Danny's painkillers were starting to work. She didn't know exactly what Danny gave her, but those were some mean pills because they were totally messing with her brain - and she needed her brain sharp. The cold water didn't help that much but it was worth a shot. "So, did it work?"

"Couldn't have been better," Chin said and, when Kate turned to look at him, he was already typing something on the smart table.

"He became very cooperative when I mentioned your suggestion: treatment in exchange of information." Steve flashed Kate a small smile and she felt warmth spread through her body. She blamed the painkillers and not the fact that she missed Steve the whole night.

"White said it was someone named River Cohen who hired him and Ackleman," Cahill said but didn't go much further.

"Okay. Hold it," Danny interrupted raising a hand. "_Someone?_"

"He said he never met the person," Steve explained, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "But he thinks it was a man, because of the voice."

"Precisely," Chin barely let Steve finish. "Except, River Cohen does not exist," he said showing the zero results he got on his search. "In any existent data base."

"So what? Do you think White is lying?" Kono had just asked the question that Danny and Kate had in mind.

"No, I don't think so," Steve admitted, not happy with his own words. "He seemed very worried about his daughter; I don't think he was lying..."

"Yeah, me neither," Chin agreed. "I think it's more likely that this River Cohen wasn't using his real name... I also pulled his phone records and here it is. This must the number of Mr. Cohen, or whoever he is. He called White the exact that day and time James White said and it is from a disposable phone and was paid in cash. Whoever hired White and Ackleman does knows how to cover its tracks..."

"I hate smart criminals so much," Danny said through his teeth and everyone agreed.

Kate heard all that in silence. She was having a little bit of trouble to concentrate but even so, something wasn't feeling right... She felt like she was missing something, and it was damn important.

"Alright, other than that, what else he said?" Kono asked, trying to not let that break them.

"He said Mr. Cohen hired them to come to Hawaii and kill Joshua Parker," Cahill said monotonously. "Two million to end the man. Simple like that."

"Did he pay them?"

"One million when they accepted the job and one million after it was done," Steve informed, shifting on the same place. "But then, he offered an extra if they could get what he was working on."

"As it was expected, the money was transferred. Bank account in Switzerland."

"Hold on," Danny said looking at the screen. They now had the phone records, the payment, the zero results to their search all displayed to everyone see. "This phone call was made the day Parker's body was found, and it's from the same number that belongs to this River Cohen guy..."

Danny was right. The call was from the same day, probably hours after the HPD found the body. Danny didn't know that last part because he was in an airplane.

"Wait... That cannot be a coincidence," Kono said looking at the screens.

"This isn't a coincidence." Kate spoke for the first time. "Whoever is behind this alias wanted what Parker was working on. My guess, after White and Ackleman killed the guy, this person tried to find it himself, but then HPD found the body and he noticed he was running out of time, that's when he called the two men who killed Parker. So they could find that, and he knew they would do it even with the police working on the case. That's why when we went to the victim's house, the whole place was trashed..."

"They were trying to find the Memory Card," Steve said what Kate was about to voice.

"Exactly."

"And that's why they went to that deposit. I think they got there before you because they had to do some digging."

Danny, Chin, Kono and Cahill could definitely see the logic in all that. "Makes sense," the Interpol Agent admitted.

"It could also be some inside work since Parker was working on the Australians - again," Danny suggested.

"Could be," Cahill said thoughtfully. "But there's no one named, nicknamed, with an alias or anything like 'River Cohen' among the Australians."

"Maybe it's someone new?" Kono tried with a shrug.

"No. Anyone who's new would be able to contact White and Ackleman without everyone else know. They keep all the new people under a magnifying glass," Cahill explained.

Kate cursed the painkillers for affecting her that much. She was still very frustrated for not being able to figure out why she had the impression that something was missing. It was like it was right in front of her eyes but she couldn't see it.

"Hey, how about that guy that Fairbanks said," Danny spoke after a minute or so. "The one who might have weapons... Kevin Rohner? Maybe he knows something."

"Maybe," Cahill agreed.

"Okay. Lovely. Now we just need to find this man and find a way to check if this maybe is a yes or a no," Danny said, pressing his hands together and smiling a quite sarcastic smile.

"Or we could pull the list of everyone who works with him and, if someone is in that party, we can get them once they leave."

"Nice, cuz." Chin smiled at Kono and started working on that list.

"Okay, we have seven names and photos." Chin's results were added to the several other information he had collected thus far. "Now we go back, maybe pray a little and wait."

"No.. Wait," Kate whispered, her voice was barely audible. She had taken a couple of steps and was now standing in front of the screen.

"Kate? Something's wrong?" Steve walked around the table and was now standing by her side.

"I don't know," she said poorly. "I think - I'm missing something.."

"Something like..?"

Kate didn't even bother glaring at Cahill who had just asked that stupid question.

"I'm - not sure," she said tilting her head slightly to the right. "You guys don't think there's something odd about this?"

Kate's question was directed to everyone and, for a moment, they all stared at the three screens, trying to follow her thoughts.

"Wait." Steve had walked around the smart table and was now standing by Kate's side. "I think you're right... Kevin Rohner** is **the person behind all this."

All eyes landed on Steve, even Kate's. They had this curious and, in Danny's case, dubious look while the Five-0 leader's expression was of something that resembled happiness.

"Alright," Danny said; he was trying not to make wide open movements with his hands. "And you know that how, exactly?"

"Because they are the same person," he said simply. "Kevin Rohner and River Cohen are the same person."

"Okay, Einstein... How do you know it? _How?_"

"Because it's an anagram." With one synchronized move, everyone was staring at the screens after hearing Steve's words. "River Cohen is an anagram for Kevin Rohner."

"But, boss..."

"It's not Cohen," Steve explained before Kono could ask. "It's Kohenn. K-O-H-E-N-N."

"It makes sense, and it's kinda clever," Danny admitted. He wasn't content with the fact that the man was very smart but now they had a good suspect, and that was way better than anything they had until now.

"Very," Chin agreed and he already had everything on Kevin Rohner. He had pulled his file when Fairbanks said his name to Danny. "I put an APB on Rohner and sent his photo to all precincts in every Island, just in case he leaves Oahu. I also send it to the airport so, if he tries to escape, he won't succeed."

Kate's feeling that something was off was gone when Steve mentioned the anagram, but when she saw the photo of Kevin Rohner, she had the impression that she had seen him before.

Kevin Rohner was a young man. Late twenties, early thirties tops. Had dark hair, green eyes and his traces were slightly familiar, but she couldn't tell why. She struggled with that but not for too long. Maybe the guy just had a common face and she was starting to get really dizzy.

With small steps, Kate walked around the table and away from the screens. She knew when it was time to call it a day and that was it. But not until she could get some things clear.

"You, sidebar," she said as she passed through Cahill.

Kate and Cahill took a couple of steps away from everyone else so they could talk. She had this livid expression and was fighting to find the right words to express herself but it was hard. All she wanted to do was to punch him, just like she did to White. That man in front of her was an idiot.

"Look," Cahill said when he saw Kate's face twisting with anger. "I know you're mad at me-"

"Mad doesn't begin to cover what I'm feeling!" Kate hissed through her teeth. She'd yell, but she was still at the HQ and everyone was watching them. "What are you, twelve? What the hell is your problem? Are you that much of an ass?"

Kate never mentioned the reason why she was that outraged but Cahill knew what she was talking about. "I'm not the one with a problem here, Kate.."

"Oh, don't even start that stupid talk again.."

"You know I was right."

"No you're not. And even if you were, you had no right to do that!"

"Why? Because they were all hearing? Or was it because Steve was hearing?"

Kate didn't say a word. Instead, she pressed her lips together so they were almost like a line on her face. Cahill could see her eyes narrowing and how she was applying pressure on her jaw. That was the image of rage - and he knew it. "Look, I probably did you a favor, Kate."

"A favor? A fa- Oh, shut up! You are an idiot. Big time asshole." Kate had to take a step back and start counting mentally, otherwise she'd explode.

"You can thank me later," he said calmly before leaving her alone.

Kate couldn't believe his attitude. It was so unnerving that she could feel her body shaking. She wanted to hurt him so badly.

"Hey..." She didn't notice when Steve closed the space between them stood right behind her, at least not until he whispered in her ear and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Is everything okay?"

No, it wasn't. "Yes. Everything's fine.. I just need to lay down. Those painkillers were strong.." Blaming on the pills was lame but she just didn't want to talk about anything at the moment.

"Are you driving?" Steve's question came out just a little startled as he followed Kate into Danny's office so she could grab her clutch bag and he noticed she was just a little out of balance.

"No.. I left my car at your place and took a taxi to the Hilton."

"Okay.. Well, we're already done here so c'mon, I'll take you home.."

"What about White?"

"Chin is requesting backup and they'll take him in custody."

"Oh." Kate had her phone in her hands; she was about to call a cab. "Okay.. But I think need to go somewhere else first," she said raising her right hand. "I should probably check this."

Steve couldn't help but open a half smile. That woman was something. "Probably," he said softly. Then, taking a look around, he reached for the keys of his truck on the pocket of his trousers. He was still wearing his suit and it looked very nice in Kate's opinion. "Here," he said offering her the keys. "Why don't you wait for me in the car? I just need to have a word with everyone."

"Sure thing," she said closing her fingers around the keys. "Hey guys," she shouted so everyone could hear her. "Thank you."

Obviously she was thanking Danny, Kono and Chin for helping her throughout that event and not Cahill, but she didn't point that.

She had heard some "Bye, Kate!", a "Check the hand!" and Steve whispered an "I'll meet you in a second" with a smile. With a "Good bye, good night and see you in the morning" to the rest of the team, Kate made her way to the door and out of it.

The mention of 'morning' brought something else to their minds.

"Oh my. Ashcroft's son is coming.. I totally forgot that." Kono's words were full of frustration but, judging by the face they all made when she mentioned that name, it looked like they all had momentarily put that on hold.

Steve checked his watch and learned it was 1am already; he knew his team needed a break. "Alright, Ashcroft won't be here until 3pm, so, let's go home, have some rest and we'll meet here at 9am," he said keeping his voice calm. Until he turned to face Cahill. "You too."

"Okay," he said simply.

Steve looked defiantly at Cahill, challenging him to make one move, just one so he could wipe out that attitude of his.

"Great. We'll figure out what to do in the morning," Steve said simply, then he turned to look at Chin, silently asking if he needed any help with White or anything. Thankfully the Asian man's mind was working on the same level as his so he just nodded, saying that he got it all under control.

"Alright. I gotta go," he said as he started walking towards the door. "See you guys tomorrow."

Just his luck, Cahill was also on his way out so he found himself going down the stairs with that petulant human being by his side.

"Hold on," Steve said, putting his hand high enough to touch Cahill's chest, indicating him to stop. "I know you like her, alright. I know it way before that little show you put up in that party. And I could care less about you or your feelings. But we're working here and the last thing I need is someone screwing with my people. So, if you do anything that might compromise anyone, if you mess up with my team, you'll eat soup with a straw for a month."

"Noted."

"Good." Steve was about to walk out of the building when Cahill's voice stopped him.

"Not that I expect you to believe me, Commander, because I'm fairly aware of the fact that you don't trust me but.. Just for the record, what you call 'screwing' with one's brains, I call wake-up call. It is possible that I've taken things too far, I admit it.. but it was for the best, you'll see."

Steve found himself doing something very unlike him - walking away. He could easily lose his temper with that man but even he knew that it wouldn't be nice. Things between them were never good, but he didn't want to make things worse. Not before they had finished the job anyways.

Breathing in and out repeatedly, Steve walked out of the building and towards his truck, where he found Kate patiently waiting for him on the inside.

"Hey, sorry for making you wait," he said as he occupied the seat behind the wheel.

"No problem," Kate replied with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. That didn't go unnoticed to Steve and he knew something wasn't right when silence filled his truck, all the way to the hospital and then back home.

Lucky enough, Kate didn't break any bones, but the doctor that saw her decided it was a good thing to keep her hand immobilized in order to avoid any discomfort. So, with new bandages and painkillers, they were back to Steve's house. But not even there things got better.

Even though Kate waited for Steve so they walked together to the front door, she still hadn't uttered a word and Steve wasn't exactly sure what that meant. Was it possible that she was having second thoughts on, well, everything after that conversation she had with Cahill? Steve tried to wave the thought away but when she went straight upstairs, just saying she needed a shower, his mind started to wander - and that was not a good thing.

.

After about twenty minutes in the shower, Kate left the bathroom and found Steve was sitting on the edge of his bed. He had taken the white jacket off and the bow-tie, but had the dress short and tailored trousers. He glanced at her when she opened the door and gave her a tired smile but he quickly looked away.

_Well, that's it_, she thought to herself.

To Kate, the events of that day have left an indelible mark and she knew that, sooner or later, she'd have to talk to Steve about that. And it had to be now because the way he smiled at her, even though it was a smile, it didn't feel right.

Finally free from that dress and make-up and anything that could remind her of the nightmare she had been through, Kate walked towards Steve.

"Hi," she whispered kneeling down in front of him and resting her hands on his knees.

Steve noticed she was wearing one of his shirts and felt slightly better.

"Hey," he said taking her hands in his. "How's the hand? Does it hurt?"

"No, it's fine. I don't mind the pain. I'm actually glad.. it was the highlight of my night." Kate's voice was smooth and soft and the way she said it, with such honesty and maybe a little bit of pride, made Steve chuckle for about a second before it died.

"Are you okay?"

Kate locked her eyes on Steve's when he asked that. She knew that there was more to that than he was saying.

"Yeah, I'm good," she said squeezing his hands that were still holding hers. She ignored the oblivious pain that hit her when she closed her right hand around Steve's. "I- I need to talk to you." Kate tried not to stutter but it failed.

Steve was looking in her eyes and could see the battle she was fighting inside. Gently, he brought her up, making her stand up and pulled her to his bed, so she was sitting by his side, her eyes staring at the sheets instead of Steve.

"I'm sorry," she whispered without looking up at him.

"What for?"

Kate had to take a deep breath before raising her head. "For everything.. I didn't expect you to listen, but I know you heard it when I was talking to Kono.. and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let you down on multiple occasions. I didn't lie when I say I wasn't trying hard enough and I'm sorry." Steve opened his mouth to say something but Kate stopped him by sealing his lips with a finger. "Please, don't interrupt me. I need to do it.."

Steve wanted to do something because he didn't like what he was seeing. Her eyes were starting to get wet and she was trembling a little and she appeared to be in so much distress and he couldn't bear it. But he did as she asked and didn't interrupt; like she said, she needed to do that.

"I am so sorry I disappointed you, and your team.. And I'm afraid Christopher was right. I do keep people at safe distance.. but that's not on purpose, I mean - I.. I guess I taught myself to be like that. And I'm afraid that's why I didn't try hard enough to be part of your team instead of someone to help. Because it was way different than how I've been living my life and, what if I changed that much and then.." Kate's voice died suddenly while she swallowed a sob that was threatening to come out. She also blinked a couple of times to avoid any tears to fall. "I'm sorry, Steve. I really am."

Kate released Steve's lips and, as her hand fell and rested on his bed, so did her eyes. Her chin was touching her chest as she cowardly avoided Steve's eyes. She didn't know what to expect from that. She knew that, just because he didn't say anything since they left, that doesn't mean he didn't have something to say. After all, he opened the doors to his workplace and his team but just learned she didn't make a real effort to fit; that wasn't good. She wouldn't blame him if he never wanted to work with her again - or have her close for that matter. Kate knew she had been an idiot.

After Kate finished, Steve didn't say a word for a moment. He had heard her talking with Kono and Cahill and he wanted to talk to her about that. But not to blame or criticize her; he wouldn't do that, just because he could understand why she did that - shut herself to the world. He was like that sometimes - actually, more than just sometimes, but the point is - he didn't hold anything against her. Not really.

With a finger under her chin, Steve raised her head, making Kate look at him.

"You didn't disappoint me, Kate," he whispered, framing her face with his hands, not allowing her head to fall again. "Hey, look at me. I mean it. I've been there where you are. Actually, I still visit this place sometimes.. I have just as much trusting issues as you do, so I know it's hard. But, when I said I consider you as a part of the team, I meant it. Of course, it's up to you to accept that place or not, but in any case, we'll never let you down. If anything goes south, trust me when I say, you can count on us - you can count on me. You didn't disappoint me. I accept your apologies, but you didn't do anything that awful.."

Steve's words were so soft and so reassuring that Kate didn't believe it was actually happen. That he wasn't mad at her. "I didn't honor my words when I said I'd try."

Steve used his thumb to brush her cheeks; he could tell by her slightly shaking body and her trembling voice that she was a bit scared. "But you can try it again if you want to." Kate was staring at him in disbelief. That didn't seem to be the reaction she was expecting. "Look, you weren't perfect at first - it's okay. People make mistakes. I mean, look at you, you liked Cahill once.."

Even though that whole situation was very unexpected, Steve's little joke about Cahill made Kate giggle, causing a tear that she was struggling to hide to fall from her eyes.

"Right," she said when he brushed the tear away. "Point taken." Steve noticed her deep and dark eyes easing a bit and her body started to relax. "But, in my defense, I think I have improved since that."

It was like someone had turned on the lights on Steve's heart. Kate did. He had the feeling that she might have been having second thoughts on whatever she and the Interpol guy had but he was wrong.

"I tend to agree," he said and they shared a smile. "It also proves you can do things better if you try again."

"I tend to agree," Kate replied in a low tone, leaning forward to capture Steve's lips on hers. Oh, how she missed those lips, and that taste, and that man..

.

"I have a question for you," Steve said when he left his bathroom. He had gone for a shower and it made him think about something.

"Shoot." Kate was lying on his bed but not asleep; at least not completely. She had taken two painkillers and was fighting to stay awake.

"When you went to the Interrogation Room and gave me that envelope.." Steve had went across the room and sat on his side of the bed, by Kate's side. "Why didn't you stay?" That question was intriguing him for a while now. "I mean, you told me that you rather do things yourself but when I offered you a place in, you turned it down.. Why?"

"Well," Kate said turning only her head to the left so she could look at Steve, who was sitting there, waiting for an answer. "I always kept my promises and I didn't want to start breaking it now so I figured, even though it was a bit late, I should start acting more like a member of the wolf pack rather than a lone wolf.. So, I turned it down."

"Really?" he asked; raising an eyebrow and a grin of its own playing with his lips. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

"It means," she whispered, making Steve to lean closer to her. "If it's not too late, I'm willing to give it a try."

"It is not too late."

"Good," Kate purred as she ran her fingers through his short hair; she had ditched the bandages a long time ago, along with the ones that were wrapping her heart from letting people in.

Looking at the woman beneath him, Steve saw in her eyes that she wasn't just talking about to give the team a try - she was willing to give _them_ a try. At that precise moment, when he saw her watery grey eyes looking back at him, filled with so much kindness and tenderness, Steve was sure that, the path he had to walk through to get to that moment, it was worth it. Whenever she pushed him away, if he ever had a doubt, it was gone now, because she was worth anything. And, if he wasn't completely in love with that woman before, he was now.

Kate held his glance for a long time. His blue eyes were studying hers and the intensity of it was so much that she felt completely vulnerable, but, ignoring the butterflies, she didn't try to raise her defenses. She knew that once she opened up to him, there was no way back. Part of her was still afraid, but she ignored that too. It was worth the risk. Steve McGarrett was worth anything in the world.

And when he leaned down and their lips met, Kate felt that she was falling; a free fall with no ropes, no safety net, nothing to save her from the crash. Except, it never happened. She never hit the ground. And when his arms held her by the waist and he pressed their bodies together, Kate understood why - Steve was her safety net. She had fallen and he was there to catch her.

Steve could care less if others might think he was going soft, but when their lips met and Kate allowed him in, he thought she felt different. Their kiss tasted different; it was better than anything he ever experienced in his life.

She was still the sweetest thing in his life, but that night, it was even better. Their kisses were the perfect mix of desire and affection, slow and gently but passionate and demanding; her body was responding not only to their contact, but also to his thoughts, it was like they were in complete synchrony. They were on the same page, same paragraph and same line. They were in perfect harmony.

"Kate," Steve whispered when they pulled apart for air. The way he said her name, low tone, deep and husky, it sent a shiver down her spine and she felt the heat starting to increase inside her. It was the most amazing feeling ever and she could only imagine what else he could do. Only by whispering her name like that, Steve had her on the edge.

"Yes?" she purred in response, watching as he held his breath for a second and his heart was now pounding against her chest.

"While you're here, you're never going under cover again. Not if I have to stand on the sidelines, watching." Steve said that in such a bossy way that made Kate smile. "I didn't like what I saw tonight.."

"I didn't like what I had to go through tonight," she said softly as her finger tips drew irregular lines on his face, from his temple to his jaw and all the way back. "It was a nightmare and wrong in so many levels.. But this, knowing that I would end up right here, we would be back here, it helped me to go through that.. You kept me going there.. You." That last word sounded like she just had an epiphany of some sort. Kate went serious for a split second and then she rolled with Steve so she ended on top of him. Her hair hanging loosely around her face, making her pale skin almost glow with the dim moonlight coming from the window and Steve thought he was seeing the most beautiful image in the world.

Kate locked her eyes on Steve's for a while. As far as she could remember, he was the first person to make her go completely out of her way. Steve made Kate change. And she changed a lot for that man.. "Make love to me, Steve." Her voice was hardly audible; he only made sense out of that because he read the words on her lips.

Steve felt like his whole world stopped and everything vanished. Everything but Kate. And that room. His world was basically that place where there was only the two of them. Then she said three more words and Steve lost it. "Make me yours.."

She had just mouthed that last sentence when Steve's lips covered hers in a deep and passionate kiss. But it wasn't just a kiss, there was more to that. When their eyes closed, their lips met and their bodies were pressed together, they didn't notice, but their hearts beats, their breathings, every cell in their bodies adjusted so they were working in perfect harmony, their rhythm was flawless. So much that, with no more than three fluid movements, they were free from the offensive pieces of clothes that were keeping them from feeling each other completely.

They've made sex before, but not tonight. Tonight it wasn't about lust, need, no changeable emotions. It was about commitment, passion, it was all about feelings. And, even though they weren't ready to admit any of those feelings out loud, their bodies couldn't hold it any longer.

Steve had been holding onto Kate like she was the only thing keeping him from drifting away. She was his Earth, his safe rock; she was keeping him there, so, when he had her lying on the bed, his hands never left her waist.

His tanned skin against the paleness of Kate's was beautiful, and that night, when Kate didn't rush him, he could see the little details that he missed the first time; a birthmark with the shape of a "C" near her hipbone and some scars. Kate had more than just a couple of scars. She had one right below her right breast, one on the shoulder and one on the small of her back, close to her spine, but Steve didn't find her less attractive because of those. On the other hand, they only made her look more interesting in his eyes.

Kate also took the time to take in every single inch of Steve's body. It looked like he had been sculpted for some very talented artist. All his lines and muscles were just so fit, so perfectly in place that she couldn't help but look at him in awe. How she got so lucky?

Steve was the one to end the whole reconnaissance thing when Kate's hands trailed its way up his arms. Her left hand was still a bit swollen but she didn't feel any pain - hooray to the painkillers! - and when she inhaled deeply and her body arched when Steve took her hands in his, it was only because she would always respond like that to his touch and his lips placing kisses all the way from her navel up to her lips.

"Am I hurting you?" Steve asked worried when Kate let out a strangled moan and he let go of her injured hand.

"Only when you stop," she replied, taking his hand back in her grip. It wasn't exactly firm but he got the message.

Holding her hands gently right above her head, Steve turned his attention back to Kate and her sweet swollen lips. He was sure that, if he got to spend the rest of his life waking up to that woman, making love to that body and kissing those lips, he would never get tired of it. Not ever. The way she would gently bite her lower lip, only to soothe it with her tongue afterwards, it was mind-blowing.

Steve let go of her hands and made it's way down her arm to her breasts. They were so sensitive that, with the slightest touch, Kate arched her body and her fingers were holding onto Steve's bed sheets. Noticing how her reactions were so strong, Steve trailed kisses through her jaw line and, when he reached her neck, Kate released the sheets so her fingers were now running all over Steve's back.

They both could feel the heat coming from every pore of each other's body and it was constantly growing.

Steve's mouth finally reached Kate's breasts, when he closed it around a nipple, she let out a loud moan, and when his tongue flickered with it, she let her head fall back on the pillow and she was starting to get giddy - she could hardly breath. And when Steve turned his attention to the other breast, Kate felt like she was about to pass out.

Kate tried to call out his name, but what came out of her mouth were just incoherent loosen syllables that didn't make much sense whatsoever. She had little control over her movements, but when Steve gave her a break and looked up at her, she managed to cup his face with one hand and he understood, judging by how erratic was her breathing and heart beatings that she needed some air.

With a smirk on his face, Steve leveled his eyes with Kate's once again and she ran her fingers through his short dark hair. Placing soft kisses along his jaw line and on his lips, Kate's breathing went back to normal, and she had strength enough to roll with Steve on the bed.

He had his time, now she had hers. Not that they were keeping scores - in the end, there would not be any losers.

Kate ran the tip of her tongue along his neck up to his jaw; she not only heard, but felt it when he moaned and stiffened his body. He was just as sensitive as she was. Kate bite his pulsing point gently and when he hissed, she kissed it, making him shiver. Steve tasted salty and she noticed why when she looked at him. He was sweating, just like she was. It was a cool night, but within those four walls, it felt like they were facing a heat wave.

Steve didn't stay on the bottom for much longer. That little break that Kate gave him was more than enough for him to have Kate pressed against the sheets again, and she arched with the cool touch on the material on her skin - she was on fire. Not only she knew it, but also did Steve.

His hand traveled along her side and, when he reached her thigh, he raised it a little and Kate, without hesitate, slid the other leg up against his thigh and locked them around his hip. She could feel his arousal and just that - just learning he was just as turned on as she was, made her be sure that she wouldn't last too long.

Steve noticed that when Kate locked her both legs around his waist. He could feel how wet she was and how desperate for some contact. Looking in her eyes as he placed kisses on her lips, Steve slid all his length very slowly into her opening and he smirked with pleasure when she came undone in his arms once he was inside her.

He waited until Kate recovered her senses running his fingers through the long cascade of auburn hair. It didn't take long and, without a warning, Kate's hands wrapped around Steve's neck and she pulled him for a kiss - a deep and passionate kiss, and he couldn't help anymore, he began moving. Kate matched his rhythm in a heartbeat; it was like they knew exactly what to do and how to do. Every thrust was followed by a low moan that came from somewhere down her throat.

Eventually, they increased the pace and Steve was already very close when he felt Kate's walls clenching around him and he knew she would follow him shortly. Steve opened his eyes to look at her and he found she was looking back at him. Her eyes were a mix of so many things that Steve couldn't even begin to figure out because they both were close to their release; three more thrusts and Kate and Steve went over the edge.

It took them a while to ride out of that overwhelming sensation that embraced them both. It felt like nothing they had experienced before. Nothing.

Steve slid out of Kate but never let go of her. They had made love but no one said a word; it wasn't necessary.

Kate felt the tiredness take over her drained body while her brain went over the events of that day. She and Steve went through a long path, from where they were this morning until now; and she couldn't help but think that Christopher Cahill was right - in his twisted and crappy way, he did her a favor. When he talked about her, how she was and knowing that Steve was listening, he forced her to open her eyes to that simple truth: she needed to change.

_Damn you, Christopher.._ That was one of the last things that crossed her head before she passed out. The very last thing was Steve McGarrett. And the fact that he gave her the second chance she needed. Not only the second chance of being part of his team, but also of letting go of the restraining chains that were keeping her locked in a fortress that she created to protect herself from being hurt, but that also kept her from all the other things that life has to offer. Steve had set her free.

And when Steve felt Kate drifting into sleep, her warm body pressed close to his, he felt like she changed him as well. She had changed him to the point where he started to imagine his life with someone by his side.

She asked him, _"Make me yours"_. Kate was his now. But the other way around was also a real statement: Steve belonged to Kate. He was hers to keep.

They had reached the point of no return and went forward. They crossed that bridge together and whatever they had to face, Steve knew they would face it together, because there was no way in hell he would let Kate go. There was just no way.

. . .


	35. Chapter 35

**Aloha sailors!**

****Thank you to those brave little soldiers who are still with me ****_(I'm not sure why you're still with me, but hey! Thank you :D)_****. Here's another chapter and I hope you enjoy it!**  
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><p>It was just a quarter after six in the morning when Kate woke up to this annoying pain in her right hand. At some point, Kate rested her head on her injured hand and now it was bothering her. She tried to remember where she had left the pain pills but when she turned and felt Steve's body close to hers, her thoughts drifted away from her hand for a second.<p>

Moving ever so slowly and carefully to not wake him up, Kate watched Steve sleep for a while. The lines on his face were soft and didn't show the man who always worked on highly alert mode, probably thanks to his military training followed by six years working as a Navy SEAL. Instead of the Five-0 leader, Kate was seeing Steve differently; he looked so peaceful and relaxed, maybe a little light-hearted. She didn't even remember the discomfort in her hand, she just stood there, her eyes locked on Steve as his chest and body slowly moved up and down, in rhythm with his breathing - it was the picture of perfection.

A few minutes later, Steve stirred in his sleep and she found herself smiling at the sleepy man, or, at least she thought he was sleeping.

"Why are you staring at me?" Steve asked; his voice deep and husky, his eyes opened just a crack and he stretched himself. Kate smile grew wider when he let out a sound that, in her opinion, resembled a cat purring. "Am I drooling?"

She couldn't hold back a laugh when he asked that and his hand went to his face. "No.. No, you're not drooling," she said still giggling while gently pushing his hand away from his face. "But you were snoring.."

Kate yelped when Steve grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him. "I don't snore," he said locking his arms around her, not allowing Kate to move. He held her prisoner in his arms.

"Well.. I am sorry, Commander," she said trying to keep her tone serious as she stretched her arms so she could frame his face with her hands. "But my hearing doesn't agree with you." Kate was clearly amused and she squeezed his cheeks gently, only with her left hand. "I think I'll have to move to your guest room if I want to have some sleep while I'm here.."

Steve tilted his head to the right and further into Kate's left hand. "Seriously?"

"No.. I was just kidding," she said brushing his cheeks with both her thumbs and ignoring the protests of the sore muscles of her right hand. "And you weren't snoring.."

"Why were you awake then?" Steve asked, loosening his embrace and allowing Kate to move. She stayed where she was, not moving an inch.

"Oh, that.. It wasn't you, I promise," she said placing a soft kiss on his lips. "My hand was bothering me a little. It's no big deal." Kate's voice rose just a bit when she noticed Steve's eyes widening and she sensed he was gonna say something.

"Did you take your pills correctly?" Steve asked concerned, looking around for the small orange bottle that would have her pain pills.

"No, I didn't," Kate admitted, causing Steve to stop his unsuccessful search and give her a frown. "I don't like painkillers."

Steve tried not to laugh, but he couldn't hold a half smile to appear on his lips. The way she uttered that last sentence, with such seriousness, was more than Steve could take. Kate sounded like a child, and even looked like one, with that pout.

"But you need to take it," Steve said brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I will when it gets worse," she promised. "Besides, painkillers doesn't exactly scream good morning.. and I can think of something way better." Cupping his face with her hands, Kate covered his lips with hers.

Steve wasn't exactly the man to go to when one needed to talk people out or in something, but with Kate, he was terrible, downright awful. Especially when she distracted him with her sweet kisses and her numbing scent as her legs and arms wrapped around him got Steve in a delightful trap.

Whatever remains of his always impeccable self control and reasoning skills that could have left went straight off the window when he felt Kate's body grinding against his. He was still undressed - and so was Kate.

"What time do we have to be at the HQ?" she asked, speaking in a low tone that made Steve's body flare up.

"Nine," he replied, placing wet kisses along her neck. It shouldn't be normal how that woman had him on the edge with so little. She hadn't done a thing and he was already desperate for her touch.

"Nice," she whispered seductively and, even though Steve couldn't see her face, he could tell she was smiling only by her words. "I've never been happier for being up at six in the morning on a Saturday.."

Steve felt his body squirming uncontrollably when Kate brought her lips to his ear and traced, with only the tip of her tongue, the contour of its shell before sucking his earlobe.

That was a very pleasant way to start the day.

.

"Hey, I made you breakfast."

It was almost eight and Steve came downstairs to find Kate leaving the kitchen with two plates with pancakes to place on the table, which was already set. Steve just looked at it; he was so not used to all that.

"Why are you standing there? Sit," she said when she returned from the kitchen with two mugs and a jar of coffee.

Steve couldn't help but smile at that scene; Kate with her wet hair pulled up in a bun, walking around with his dress shirt from last night, telling him to sit because she had made breakfast - warmth spread all over his body as he thought he would really like having someone to wake up to, go to bed with and spend the weekends together. And by someone he meant Kate.

"Steve!" He blinked when she snapped her fingers; only then he noticed she was standing in front of him. "I'm calling you it's been a hundred years.. Where were you?"

"Right here," he answered, his signature half smile plastered on his face as he looked at Kate; she had this suspicious look in her eyes that could be seen all over her face. She looked so beautiful. "I was right here," he added reaching for her arms so he could pull her close and steal a kiss from her sweet lips.

Kate arched an eyebrow at him. "Alright then.. C'mon, I'm hungry and we need to go in a few."

Steve followed her with this permanent smirk on his face; it never faded, not while they were eating or afterwards. He was so smitten.

.

"Do you think your friend, Trish, is working today?" Steve asked when he saw Kate was back downstairs, dressed and ready to go.

"No idea," she said, reaching for the black jacket she had left on the armchair and wearing it on top of her white shirt and holster. "Why?"

"Yesterday I asked her to call LAPD so they could stop Wo Fat from boarding on his flight to Japan," he explained while reaching for the keys of his truck. "I'd like to ask her how did that go.."

"Here," Kate said tossing Steve the keys to her Aston Martin. "Care to drive while I make the phone call?"

"Of course not," Steve said with a smirk on his face when he got the keys, which Kate never saw because she was already on her way out and to her car, with her phone already pressed to her ear.

She had just occupied the passenger seat of her own car when she heard Trish's voice.

_"Kate! Thank Heavens it's you; how are you doing?"_

Kate instantly recognized traces of concern in her always so soft voice and she didn't have to work hard to figure out why that was showing.

"I'm doing fine, Trish. Nothing to worry about."

_"Nothing to worry about? **Nothing to worry about?** How about Wo Fat! Why would you do that? Why would you go after him alone? You know the guy is dangerous!"_

Kate glanced at Steve with the corner of her eyes, but he was focused on the mild traffic so he didn't notice it.

"Trish. Stop. Please. Trust me, I learned my lesson, can we just move on now?"

_"Only if you promise me - **promise me**, Catherine Arizona Taylor - it won't happen again.."_

Kate sighed, making Steve to glance at her curiously. She just replied with a wave of the head. "I promise will try my best to avoid it."

_"Do better and STOP TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD ALONE! Even super heroes have sidekicks, for crying out loud!"_

"Not Spider-Man."

Steve had stopped at a red light and addressed a curious glance at Kate, but she just shrugged.

_"Kate.."_

"I hear you, sweetheart. I really do. I get the message and I'm working on it, I promise. Now, let's get down to business, are you at the Bureau?"

_"Yes, I am."_ Kate could tell by her tone that Trish was frustrated. She didn't know if it was because she was working Saturday or something else.._ "What can I do for you?"_

"I need to know if LAPD was able to detain Wo Fat. Can you find who was the man in charge of that operation and send me its number?"

_"Sweetheart, I can do way better.. Give me a minute and I'll get you your answer."_

"Alright, babe.. Don't keep me waiting too long! You know I hate it."

Once again, Steve looked at Kate and she saw this huge frown in his face. He was hearing only one side of that conversation and she was damn sure he wasn't following.

"I thought it would be a business call," he said dubiously, his eyes flickered quickly to the woman by his side since the streets were a little crowded, after all, it was Saturday and the weather was really fine.

Kate smiled at Steve when she caught his eyes looking at her. "It is. This is totally professional, can't you tell?" she said cheerfully and her smile widened when Steve arched an eyebrow at her.

_"Kate, are you there?"_ It was Trish; not a minute had passed and she was back on the line. Kate loved how fast she worked.

"You bet. What did you get?"

_"Well.. you probably won't like it.."_

The smile on Kate's face faded instantly. "LAPD didn't get him, did they?"

Steve had just turned right and was only meters from the HQ when he heard that monotonous statement coming from Kate's mouth. He could see the major change in her expression; not seconds ago she was all smile and jokes and now she had her game face on again and he could hardly tell what she was feeling, but he was sure of one thing – Wo Fat was on the loose.

_"That's not it,"_ Trish said from the other side. _"His plane never landed in Los Angeles."_

"But how? How is that even possible? I saw his plane taking off here and I saw Wo Fat boarding! **How?**"

Steve had parked her car next to Danny's silver Camaro; he could see everyone was there and he had a hunch that the Audi parked in between Chin and Kono's car belonged to Cahill. Steve killed the engine but didn't do anything else; he just sat there, his eyes locked on Kate.

_"I don't know! Believe me, I'm trying to find answers but his aircraft never showed up on their radar in LA or anywhere in the State of California. I'm sorry, Kate.."_

Kate pinched the bridge of her nose and, probably because of the huge frustration she was feeling, she hit the dashboard of her car shouting a quite loud "dammit".

"Hey, easy Kate, easy.." Steve tried to calm her down and it worked, at least a little; she didn't attempt to smash the interior of her own vehicle again but he could tell she was upset. Really upset.

_"I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened.."_

"It's not your fault, Trish," she said through her teeth. And it really wasn't. She did everything she could and her intel was right - Kate did find Wo Fat at the airport. She just needed to find out where the plane went to. It had to be somewhere, and she would find the son of a bitch. "It's not your fault.. Thank you. For everything."

By that time, Steve stopped looking at her like she was some sort of exploding device, ready to go off any moment; the two of them were on their way to the entrance building.

_"Sure, don't mention it.. But, hey, uh- are you super busy right now or should I call later?"_

"Not right now, Trish, what is it?"

_"That last thing I didn't get to tell you yesterday.."_

Kate stopped when she had one foot already inside. Steve only noticed she wasn't by his side a few seconds later, when he was in the middle of the lobby.

"What's wrong?" he asked taking a couple of steps back to where Kate was standing.

She didn't remember that Trish had three things to tell her but only said two - Wo Fat and Ashcroft - there was a third.

Kate just shook her head and mouthed a "nothing" and they started walking again as she said a casual "What about it?" to Trish.

_"I was going through this Wo Fat's life, and I found something - weird."_

"Weird? How so?"

_"Well, hear this out. There's a name, Hellen Masters, that constantly appears on this investigation that was lead by quite a few agencies on the Japanese Mafia a few years back, meaning Wo Fat was also part of it, but then, all of a sudden, she vanishes, just like that. One minute Hellen Masters's name is all over the place and then - **poof!** not anymore. It's like she disappeared off the face of the Earth into thin air. And the plot gets thicker. I tried to run background check on this woman, and I got nothing. Zip. Nilch. Zero. Nada."_

"Right.. What are you thinking?"

_"I don't know.. It could be an informant, someone who worked with them, some sort of spy - I can think of many possibilities, but they all end the same way-"_

"Deceased."

Kate voiced Trish's thoughts when she and Steve had already walked through the big glass doors of the HQ, drawing, not only Steve's attention, but also from everyone else. Kate didn't have time to explain, because Trish hadn't finished. Muttering and _'just a minute'_, Kate took a few steps so she didn't interrupt what everyone else was doing prior her arrival. The screens had pictures and some other files and, even though she was interested on that, Kate decided to hear what Trish had to say first.

_"Probably. There are lots of accidents that occurred under suspicious circumstances and it could be it. In any case, I thought this was odd, so, since you're now investigating this, I thought I'd let you know.. Maybe it's important."_

"Okay.. Why it didn't show up on your previous search?"

_"Because I had to go deeper this time. When you asked me to keep Wo Fat on close detail, I searched every single thing that could be slightly related to him or the Yakuza. I'm gonna send you what came out on that but this Hellen Masters.."_

"Send me a photo. I'll see if I can do something.."

_"Roger that."_

"Anything else?" Even though she was deeply intrigued by that sudden appearance of 'Hellen Masters', whomever she was, Kate wanted to join the Five-0s. And Cahill.

_"Not for now.. How's everything over there?"_

"As good as it can be.. We're still dealing with the Australians but we might be closer to an end." As Kate spoke those words, she thought about something. "Trish, can you do me a huge favor?"

_"Anything for you, my dear."_

"There's this guy, his name is Kevin Rohner. R-O-H-N-E-R. I want you to check him and cross references with Australia/05," Kate said as she made her way to the small group gathered around the smart table. "When you finish it, call me."

_"Roger that, already on it. Trish out."_

Kate stood by Steve's side and placed her phone on one end of the smart table.

"Hey guys, sorry about that," she said when all eyes landed curiously on her. "Call from DC," she explained.

"Something's wrong?" Danny asked half curious, half concerned. If he learned something from Kate and her 'phone calls' was that she had this crazy tendency to do something crazy and, usually, alone after hanging up.

"Actually, yes." Her eyes met Steve's shortly. He already knew what her next words would be.

"LAPD didn't get Wo Fat," he said emotionless, making everyone stop looking at her so they could stare at him.

"No," Kate said and, again, everyone turned their heads to her direction. "No, they didn't.."

Silence settled in for a moment when Chin, Kono and Danny mourned that loss. They were hoping that LAPD would be able to detain Wo Fat but, apparently, it didn't work.

"What happened?" Chin broke the silence after a few seconds. He also had voiced the one question that was haunting everyone.

"Wo Fat's aircraft never landed in LA," she said simply and everyone stared at her in disbelief. "Actually, it never entered the airspace of the State of California."

For that one, not even Steve was ready. "What? Then where did he go?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that," Kate admitted weakly. "Not right now."

Steve rubbed his face with the palm of his hand. That was the worst thing he heard ever since he was arrested; even worst than having Chin reading his rights. Wo Fat escaped. Again. And there was nothing that Steve or anyone else could do. Again.

"Alright," Steve said through his teeth looking at his team. And Cahill, who was just standing there, not understanding a single thing. "Let's focus on what we have here and now. We can talk about Wo Fat later."

Everyone nodded and shifted their attention back to their main concern at the moment - Ashcroft. It was likely that he would be targeted so they needed to focus on him and his protection if they wanted to end the issue with the Australians.

"Fabian Ashcroft will be arriving in a little over five hours and we need to set an action plan with no room for flaws. It has to be perfect; anything else is completely unacceptable."

Danny, Chin and Kono were used to that side of Steve; Cahill and Kate, not so much, but they tried to make that work, after all, they all were well aware of the simple fact that they had only one chance. If they succeeded, it would all end well; but if they failed, well, if they failed it would all end more than just badly - it would probably be bloody.

After a while, they came up with a clever strategy and very neat approach. Given the potential of starting an International incident, they'd count on Chin, the HPD and a SWAT team to provide extended protection and security, along with Kate, who would be some sort of liaison between the Five-0s, HPD and the Interpol agents that were in Hawaii; Steve and Cahill would be the main responsible for the immediate security of Fabian Ashcroft and Danny and Kono would be the eyes and brains of the operation, responsible for surveillance, coordination of their moves and security - also, they'd jump in as backup if needed. Needless to say that Kate and Danny didn't quite agree with that.

"Are you serious?" Danny asked more than just a little baffled. "You'll take Cahill to the front with you?" It was nothing like Steve to go on the field, especially on a crazy dangerous situation like that one, with someone he barely knew, not to say he hated.

"Let him work with Connor and Porter!" exclaimed Kate.

"Look, guys, stop. Stop." Steve's words, just like his posture, didn't inspire any witty come backs or arguments, so Danny and Kate went quiet. "We don't have time for this, so I'll be very quick. I'm doing this because it's the best way to use our already small resources. Danny, you're my partner and I trust you with my life, that's why I need you to stay with Kono and make sure that we don't end up in some sort of trap, or that the Australians surprise us; it'll guarantee us some advantage if we end up in some sort of conflict - that's why I need you and Kono on this. It has to be people I trust and people who know how I operate, otherwise it won't work."

Danny was still uneasy but he knew what he was saying. Kono was bright and Danny knew exactly how Steve was on the field; that's why he had them on that task. It was unnerving though, especially because Danny hated not being on the field - he was a man of action. "Alright, fine."

"Good. Now, Kate.. I don't know Connor and Porter, but I know you. And I trust you. That's why I can't have Cahill working with them because, even though they're Interpol, I don't know them and I don't trust Cahill. Having him with me will allow me to keep both eyes on him." Steve mentally added _'my loaded gun'_, but he didn't say that. "You have to understand why I'm doing this."

And she did. Actually, he was doing the exact same thing she did on that party. Keep an eye on Cahill while making sure that everyone would fit a position that they could be more useful at. She sure understood that, but understand is very different that agree, and, just like Danny, Kate strongly disagreed with that. They didn't like the fact that the man they cared deeply, Danny as a partner and Kate as, well, something more, would be out in the field with someone that weren't they. If it was Danny or Kate to be on the front line with Steve, they wouldn't mind at all - but it wasn't any of them. But they trusted Steve and that would have to do.

"Okay, fine.. But don't do anything stupid," Kate said, trying to hide the worry that was built in her words.

"Or impulsive," Danny added.

"Or reckless."

"Or moronic."

Kate and Danny were giving all signs of not being anywhere near the end of that weird dialogue and Steve just cut them immediately.

"Alright! Alright, I get it. No stuntman stunts. I get it." His voice was slightly louder but it wasn't harsh. He knew they weren't exactly calm and they did that because they cared about him, but it was just time consuming, and they needed to start working fast. Kate needed to find Agents Connor and Porter so they could have a gathering with everyone plus the HPD Officers and the SWAT team that would take place on that mission so they all could coordinate and synchronize their movements, where they'd stay, what they'd do and all the small details that had the huge potential to decide whether they'd make it or break it. "But, in my defense," Steve added shortly before they left the room. "I never do things without thinking."

"Yeah," muttered Kate through teeth.

"Right," added Danny sarcastically.

**xxx**

Five minutes after leaving Danny's office, Kate was on her way out along with everyone else. Danny, Kono, Steve and Cahill followed Chin to the precinct where they'd work as fast as it was possible, trying to gather the best team they could have among the HPD personnel so they could meet with the SWAT people.

It wasn't hard to find Connor and Porter. Kate had their numbers and, with only a phone call, she arranged a meeting with them and gave the address that Steve gave her and she soon found out why he was that much specific - Waiola shaved-ice that belonged to no one else than the big guy she met on her second day in Hawaii, Kamekona.

Connor and Porter got to the address about five minutes after Kate and she hurried to brief them on what was about to happen.

"Okay," Connor said when she finished her explanation on their plans and why they had to make sure Fabian was safe until they managed to take down the Australians. "But, how close are you to finish it?"

"The Australians will come after Ashcroft, he received threats and they're a lot like the ones his father received so I can assure you that they'll make a move. We've never been closer than we are now. This is our best shot." She didn't say only because it would sound too ominous.

"Makes sense," said Porter with a nod. "I just don't get one thing - you said Fairbanks is not involved. I hope you don't mind my question Kate but, are you sure?"

Kate had worked with the two Agents once and she knew they were very meticulous so she didn't mind his question. She knew the Interpol target was Richard Fairbanks and they knew he was in Hawaii so it was only natural that he'd ask that.

"I'm convinced he's not involved. We have information that it is someone named Kevin Rohner the man behind this. He ordered the man who was on the Witness Protection program execution, and he's the only one with weaponry in the Island."

As soon as Kate revealed the name, Connor and Porter started a search on 'Kevin Rohner', and they came up with the same thing that Chin had found, minus his River Kohenn alias.

"What's his motive?" Connor asked, looking up to meet Kate's glance. "I mean, according to what we have here, we can't get a reason to connect him with the case you have.."

Kate didn't flinch; she had thought the same when she checked Rohner's profile, but Fairbanks mentioned him as the one with weapons in Hawaii and, indirectly, White's statement pointed directly at him. Everything pointed to Kevin Rohner.

She was about to tell him that when her phone rang. Checking the caller ID, she learned it was Trish.

"Just a second," she said apologetically. "I need to take this."

Connor and Porter nodded and, with a quick smile, she answered it.

"Go ahead, Trish."

_"Okay. I did as you said; I ran background check on Kevin Rohner then crossed references with your case, Australia/05."_

"And?" Kate's voice was slightly urgent.

_"Nothing. But, because I knew you wouldn't like that answer, I tried different approach and methods and I found something über weird and crazy. I'm sending this to you right now so you can verify it - Kevin Rohner is not Kevin Rohner. His real name is Brian Hills Sheppard, the only child of Mark Sheppard."_

Kate's mind went blank for a moment. She could barely process that information. Their suspect wasn't a suspect anymore - he was the man they were after and she had no doubt. He was the only child of the only Agent who died in Australia - that was a very strong motive.

_"He was just nineteen when his father was murdered and he took it pretty hard. Brian Sheppard had recently got into the Academy to become a cop, but he dropped it shortly after he learned his father died.."_

"Patricia. I love you. So much. But I gotta go now."

Kate barely heard Trish's goodbye when she disconnected the phone call so she could check her email. That was the smoking gun. With that piece of information, she knew for sure that Kevin Rohner, Brian Sheppard, whatever name he would go by, was the man they were after.

Connor and Porter just watched as Kate went from a somewhat calm to flustered in less than a heartbeat.

Fumbling with the tiny keyboard of her smart phone, Kate got into her email account to find two emails from Trish; one entitled WF, meaning it was related to the case she had on Wo Fat, and the other, AOC, and that's the one she opened first. There was a file with Brian Sheppard's information but her eyes jumped to the photo. Trish had ran his face through a biometric program and facial recognition and there it was; Mark Sheppard and Brian Sheppard's photos. That's why she had a feeling she'd seen him before, Brian had features that were exactly like his father's. They weren't identical, but, now with their pictures side by side, anyone could tell they were related.

"Here's his motive," Kate said showing the Interpol Agents the photos. "Kevin Rohner, also known as Brian Hills Sheppard is the only son of Agent Mark Sheppard."

Connor and Porter leaned forward to see it more carefully and, when they looked back at Kate, they had this slightly astonished look in their eyes. Even though they weren't there, they knew all about Australia/05, and they knew that Mark's death was came as a shock to everyone. It should be the perfect mission, they had it all under control - but they weren't expecting a bombing attack in broad daylight and about twenty men with massive firepower.

Thinking about that didn't make warm up Kate one bit. If anything, she was even more worried. They had days, weeks to plan Australia/05 and, even so, they suffered a loss; now, they had about four hours left.

Kate mentally kicked herself for going into that territory. She couldn't do that. She couldn't panic now.

"We have to go," she said a little grim but Connor and Porter just nodded. They had a fairly good idea what she was going through; they had orders from Hillborne to help Kate no matter what, but they would do that, even if they weren't told to do so.

"Lead the way," Connor said when they rushed to their vehicles; Kate to her Aston Martin and Connor and Porter to their Chevy Avalanche. "We'll follow you."

Kate just shouted a "Got it!" and then jumped behind the wheel, started the engine and got her car on the move - all that in less than thirty seconds; Connor and Porter followed her shortly.

As soon as she got into her car, Kate called Steve. She had no idea where everyone was so she needed directions. Thankfully, Steve answered it before the third ring.

_"Kate,"_ he said calmly, meaning he had checked caller ID.

"Steve, where are you?"

_"At the precinct, why?"_

"Stay there," she said a bit louder because someone had just honked at her. "I'm on my way."

Steve tried to say something, and Kate was fairly certain it was about the sound he had definitely heard but she decided she couldn't be bothered with that right now, so she hang up on him. She knew he would give her a bit of a hard time later but she didn't have time to waste.

.

Five minutes later, record time if you consider the traffic and all the traffic lights that were on the way, Kate killed the engine of her car in front of the precinct. Connor and Porter didn't show up shortly after but, again, she didn't have time to waste so she literally ran into the HPD precinct, her eyes scanning the room for a glimpse of the Five-0s like a hawk in its search for a prey. She recognized Steve's profile rather quickly and, still running, she reached him and the rest of the team. They were all standing around Chin's desk.

"Guys, I have something," she said as she barged into the room. All eyes landed on Kate, just like every Officer who was at the precinct and witnessed the woman running through the place like she was running for her life.

"How did you get here so fast?" Chin asked frowning. Kamekona's shaved-ice spot was at least ten minutes away from that precinct, and he had the impression that Steve had shouted at his phone not two minutes ago.

"That's not important. I know what's going on," she said walking around the desk, everyone smartly getting out of her way to stand by Chin's side in front of his computer. Muttering a quick "_excuse me_", Kate started to work on it, opening the same email she had shown Connor and Porter - which, by the way, had just got into the precinct and were trying to get to Chin's already crowded office.

Turning the screen 180 degrees, Kate showed everyone the two photos, displayed side by side.

"The man we know as Kevin Rohner is in fact, Brian Hills Sheppard, the only son of Mark Sheppard," Kate said suddenly, going straight to the point. "He is our guy. He has motive, means, everything." No one inside that room said a word, they all just stared at Kate, waiting for further explanation and she gave it to them. Along with the file that Trish attached, she explained everything, from the moment when he found out his father was dead, then to how he let go of his old life, created a new one, moved to Australia, joined the Organized Crime and how they ended where they were right now. Kevin/Brian was after revenge.

"He's killing those he hold responsible for his father's death." Steve was the first to say something in that quiet group.

"So, Marshall O'Hanlin died because he told the Australian's plans to the police," said Danny, continuing his partner's thoughts. "And now, since the VP is dead, he's after his son.."

"Makes sense," Chin said and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," Kate replied emotionless. The only thing that made sense in her head was to find a way to guarantee everyone's safety today - and Cahill recognized Kate's behavior.

He was the only one in that room who actually understood what she was doing, even though she wasn't showing. He knew that Kate was trying to detach herself from that situation so she could think strategically, plain and simple. But, even though she was a great strategist, he didn't like when that part of her held hands with the cold and calculating part and that's exactly what he was seen, and it often meant that she would do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe, even if her own safety get jeopardized. And he knew he was right when his eyes met hers and the blank expression that he had seen the day Mark died was there to greet him, only difference was that this time, it was far more intense.

One minute Cahill is looking at Kate, staring at the emptiness in her eyes and the next, he's walking out of the room, dragging the Five-0 leader with him.

"We need to speed this up," he said flatly, ignoring Steve's glare. "We have to meet with the SWAT."

"**We** are going as fast as we can. Don't tell me how to do my job."

Steve was on his way back inside when Cahill's hand stopped him.

"You don't get it. Look at Kate," Cahill said indicating the DC woman with his head and Steve did as he said. She was still standing there, blank expression, emotionless. "That look in her eyes, or the lack of it, I've seen this once and I prayed I'd never see it again, because it scares the living shit out of me." Steve listened to Cahill. He sounded very sure and slightly worried and it made Steve want to know where he'd get. "What you see, is just the tip of the iceberg and believe me when I say, you don't want to see what's next.."

"How are you so sure?" Steve asked curiously.

"Because the next thing you'll have to deal with is to drag a damn pissed off woman out of the field and she'll never forgive you for that." Cahill's tone was dark and grim, and it made Steve pay extra attention to what he was saying. "Last time I saw her like that, it was seconds before I told her Mark wasn't coming back. That woman, right there, is not the Kate you're used to; that's the cold and calculating version of her and believe me when I say that her brain is working on all sorts of strategy you can and can't think of. You might think this is good, well, this is bad. Really bad. That's how we went from friends to strangers. So, believe me when I say, we have to get the SWAT now so we can plan this whole thing. We had twenty seven days to organize Australia/05 and it still ended crappy. Now, if you want to keep Kate by your side, you'll do as I say and try to come up with the perfect plan in four hours. Because, if things go south, you'll either end up being the next me or you'll have to plan her funeral, and I am not joking."

For the first time ever since he met Christopher Cahill, Steve believed his words. Now he understood him perfectly - he hated it. Steve knew that, if something, anything went wrong, Kate would do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe. She had lost a partner on the field, then, this Mark guy was killed in action on an operation she was assigned to be a part of the group who would coordinate the whole thing; he knew she wouldn't lose anyone else, he knew she would risk her own safety to do so and he also knew that, if they ever ended in that position, Steve would intervene, just like Cahill did years back. He understood the man so much that he began to trust him; not completely, but, at that moment, Steve knew that Cahill wasn't going to screw with everything. He already had his phone in his hands and was going through his contacts so he could call the Special Weapons And Tactics team but stopped before pressing _'dial'_.

"Why are you doing this?" Steve asked curiously and a little puzzled. The man in front of him was an enigma and Steve didn't think he'd ever understand him; dealing with Cahill was like getting a rollercoaster ride blindfolded, one could never tell what was coming next, if it was a fall, a loop or something else completely different.

"Because I like Kate. I don't want to see her hurt, but I know that, if she goes through that again, it'll destroy her completely. And you're good for her, McGarrett. I need to recognize that you can do things I never could and that no one else can. But, I'm afraid that, if we end up having a flashback of what happened six years ago, and not even you will be able to help her."

Against all odds, Steve didn't feel the always present urge to punch the blonde in front of him. Instead, he just nodded and made the phone call.

. . .


	36. Chapter 36

**Aloha everyone!  
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****I'd like to thank one more time everyone who's reading this! Even if you don't review the story, you're all really amazing!  
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* * *

><p>"So, will you tell me what miracle happened or what bug bite you?" Kate asked as casually as the situation allowed.<p>

It was already 2:45 pm and they were all on the way to the Honolulu International Airport; the meeting with the SWAT team ended about ten minutes ago and they had it all planned everything for when Fabian's plane landed, within an hour approximately. Needless to say, they were all slightly nervous - in Kate's case, more than just slightly, so, she tried to think of something else in order to avoid extra stress.

"Sorry, what?"

Since Steve's truck was, right now, parked at his garage, he was riding with Kate and, in her opinion, had been sitting on the passenger seat, awful quiet for the past three minutes; the solely fact that he didn't ask to drive made her frown inwardly and her suspicious grew bigger.

"You and Christopher," she replied glancing at Steve every now and then; he had this thoughtful expression on his face and she knew he was going through their action plan - for the zillionth time. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he said with a shrug, like it was the most obvious thing in the world and she wasn't seeing it. "Why? Why do you ask?"

"Because - a few hours ago you two were barely standing each other and now it's like you're all good.."

It was crucial for the success of that enterprise that they had it all planed and synchronized down to perfection. It was vital that they didn't leave any room for mistakes, doubts, flaws or any other thing that could be seen as a weak spot - they needed it to be flawless and to achieve that, they'd have to, using Steve's words, work as a cohesive unit. But, even though they were well aware of that fact, it came as a huge surprise when they all saw Steve and Cahill working together and - imagine that - quite peacefully. It was like they had put their differences aside for a moment and decided to cooperate.

Kate and Danny even shared a curious look and frowned at that unexpected and very sudden change in the game.

"We're working together, and we both decided it would be better if we behave accordingly." Kate squinted at Steve when he said that. Not that she didn't believe him, but - _behave accordingly_? That didn't sound like any of them. Steve noticed that squint. "The Interpol is after Fairbanks for four years now, and, even if he's not involved, maybe, after we get Brian and end our case, they can do the same, so we cooperate. This way, everybody wins and we can all go back to our jobs and take new cases.."

Kate glanced at Steve a couple of times without saying a word. "So, you're doing this so that Cahill can fly back home and out of your Island soon?"

Steve opened his mouth to say something but closed it shortly, considering what Kate had said. "Well, this is not **my** Island, you know and I'm doing this so we can finish this case as soon as possible; it's being a constant pain in my ass.. But, I won't say that I won't be pleased when everyone, Australian or not, go back to where they all belong.."

Kate opened a small smile and she couldn't help but feel like she hadn't smiled in ages. The past six to seven hours made her feel like she had aged seven years. It was like her worst nightmare had came true right before her eyes and she couldn't run fast or far enough, it was always there, waiting for her to trip and fall. But then, there was Steve. She was deeply thankful for having Steve there this time; he was like her island of hope in the middle of a sea of chaos.

"Fair enough," she said making a turn to the right. The airport's entrance was now meters away and, just like that, her small smile faded. "Here we go," she whispered to herself while taking a deep breath as she drove into the Airport parking lot.

Kate spotted Danny leaving his Camaro. He had parked it not too far from the entrance and, lucky enough, there was an empty spot right next to it and that's where she parked.

When the care came to a complete stop, Kate felt her heart sinking further in her chest and she thanked Heavens for the Kevlar vest she was wearing underneath the black leather jacket - it wouldn't let her heavy breathing show up that easily. But Steve knew how to identify when someone was nervous and, even though Kate was doing her best to hide it behind a mask, somehow, he knew it.

"Hey, come here." Steve took Kate gently by the arm and walked with her a couple of steps away from where a small group of police officers were standing, ready to get in position as soon as Chin spoke the word.

Kate followed Steve, offering no resistance.

"Look, I know this is hard for you," he said when they were almost three meters away from everyone. "Dealing with this all over again must be very stressful, a lot more than I can imagine.. but it's not gonna happen again, alright?"

Kate's eyes met Steve's and the beautiful shade of gray had vanished; it was shadowy now, sort of grimace, and it matched her body language.

"Steve.."

"It is **not** gonna happen," he said reassuringly, silencing her with his forefinger pressed on her lips. "I won't let it happen again. Not under my watch."

Steve went through their tactics easily over ten times and, thanks to his Navy training, he was more than ready to face anything that this goddamned Australians had in mind. Also, now that he and Christopher Cahill had sort of worked on their differences, things should be easier; as he learned during the past few hours when they were going their plans from six years ago so they could do better now, the man was actually really good at his job and was seriously focused on, like Steve, not let it end badly again.

"But I need you to trust me on this," he added in a very serious tone that made Kate arch an eyebrow. "Do you trust me?"

"What kind of question is that?" Her reply was slightly irritated. "Of course I trust you.."

"Good. So, if I tell you to withdraw, you'll do it."

"Steve, I ca-"

"You can and you will," he broke into her sentence, not allowing her to argue. "Kate, I can't do my job if I know that you're risking your life."

"That's why you and Cahill were that close all day, wasn't it? To discuss how to keep me away, am I right or am I right?"

Kate's tone was alarmingly calm and it made Steve feel like Cahill was right - if he had to drag her out of the field, she would never forgive him, especially because then, she would have been put on the same situation from six years ago.. but he was also more than sure of the simple fact that, if her life was in danger, he would do it anyways.

"We were not discussing how to keep you away, Kate, we-"

"Really? Because that's exactly what it looks like right now.. Look, you don't want to tell me, fine. I mean, it's not fine but.. just - don't lie to me, Steven.. I don't like to be played."

Steve rubbed his face with one hand while inhaling deeply. Things were going downhill and they hadn't even started yet.

"Kate, I need you to understand.." He started but, again, he didn't go much further.

"I do, Steven." Kate cut him shortly. "Trust me, I do understand. More than you can possibly imagine. I understand what your point is and why you're doing this. But _you_ have to understand that **we** are on the same position. Do you think I like to sit and wait, knowing that, if and when I'm told to go, it will most likely be because something not exactly good is going on? Do you think I'm enjoying being told to assume the same role I was giver back in Australia? No, Steve. The answer to these questions is no. I don't like it. I hate it. I hated the first time and I hate it even more now and you know why? Because I've been through this before. And the fact that you'll be the one at the front row, it scares the living shit out of me! Knowing that you will be there makes me feel damn scared.. and you're asking me to add more to that buttload of things I'm hardly bearing.."

Steve heard that with a heavy heart. He didn't like putting Kate through all that again but he also couldn't handle her wandering and maybe risking her life. He just couldn't. They were caught in the world's hardest dilemma.

"I know what you're thinking, Steve.." Kate's voice softened a little, just like her eyes. "I know what Cahill was thinking back then. That I was being reckless, careless, that I didn't think of my own safety first. But, honestly, how reckless was I really? My dad taught me one thing that he learned from his life as a cop and I never forgot it. He once told me '_Never leave a friend behind, Zona.. Especially if it needs your help_'. Mark needed my help, but I wasn't allowed to help him. I understand why Cahill did what he did, but I don't agree. Mark was the one on the center of the stage while I was behind the curtains, and no one let me go there and help him when it was more than clear that he needed my help. Well, maybe I couldn't have done much but - this is me, Steve. This is who I was raised to be.." She made a brief pause, only to check her watch. It was 2:57pm already, and they needed to start working. Actually, Kate and Steve were the only standing still; everyone else was already starting to move around, to get in position or to go after information on the flight. "But alright. You're the Five-0 leader, and, today, I answer to you, so, alright. If you say jump, I say how high. I can do it. I don't like it, but, well, I can do it.."

Steve's eyes widened with surprise when she agreed; right now, not even he was sure of what he had asked. Kate was right, they were definitely on the same position, trying to look after one another.

He had just nodded, slightly relieved when Kate spoke again. "BUT, if something goes wrong, if anyone gets hurt, I won't hesitate in breaking an immediate order."

Steve was ready to argue, but he didn't for two reasons: first, as soon as she said those words, Kate turned her back to Steve and started walking - small steps, but still; second, he knew that, even if he tried to reason with Kate, it would be like talking to a brick wall, after all, she had just said: this was Kate. And Steve recognized that she was indeed putting up with a lot, so he decided to trust her - and pray to God that she didn't get hurt.

"Kate, wait," he said reaching her with a short run, no longer than five steps. "Alright. You made your point and I get it. But if you put yourself in danger, I'll do whatever it takes to get you out of it."

A half smile appeared on her serious face. "Fair enough."

"Good. Just.." Steve's voice went a note lower. "Be careful, alright."

"Will be," she said gently. Then taking a step closer, she tiptoed and kissed his lips softly. "Be careful you too," she added while their lips still lingered slightly touch each others.

Steve felt the urge to hold her and really kiss her, passionately and fiercely but he didn't. He was terrified by the possibility of losing her, but he couldn't give in to that feeling. He needed to be sharp to avoid any further complications, so he didn't do what he really wanted to; instead, he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering for a little longer on her soft skin.

"I will. I promise."

Kate felt a sad smile playing with her lips; she was a lot more scared than she had ever been in her life. Taking a deep breath in a failed attempt to brush all the ominous thoughts away, she and Steve made their way to the Airport entrance.

**xxx**

Steve learned, as soon as he stepped into the large construction that was the Honolulu International Airport that Ashcroft's flight was delayed and it would land at 4:07pm.

That didn't ruin their plans because they knew something like that could happen, but Kate found herself getting a bit more nervous with the increase in their waiting time. She hated waiting.

.

It was now 3:37pm and they still had approximately thirty minutes laying low.

Kate couldn't help but think "if only I was with the local police.." The HPD had a few Police Officers dressed as civilians and walking around the Airport and surroundings. That was Steve's idea, in case Brian Sheppard showed up. Thus far, they got nothing, but Kate couldn't help but think that walk around and do some field work was way better than sit tight in an equipped van, property of the HPD. Sure she was with the two Interpol Agents plus Danny and Kono but she didn't like the lack of action. Actually, no one in that vehicle liked it.

"My God, I almost forgot how much I hate this," Kate said shifting on the chair for the umpteenth time.

"Yeah," Danny said. He had been focusing his attention on the screens throughout the whole time; they had access to the cameras of the Airport so they were doing their best to identify any possible threats. "Me too."

"Me three," said Kono, sitting back on the chair, eyes glued on the screens.

Kate was feeling a weird mix of emotions - she was bored, scared, tired but highly alert, she didn't like staying there, but she wasn't exactly looking forward to the moment when she was needed. That could mean so many things and, in her mind, the worst case scenarios were usually the ones to pop out. She needed to think about something else for a moment or she would go crazy.

Then, she remembered the email that she still needed to check and that's what she did. She couldn't help but remember Steve's words _"You use case files to unwind? Who does that?"_.. Steve. There he was again, and with him, all her fears. Kate shut down those thoughts and focused on the small screen of her Smartphone as she opened her email once again.

She had to wait a few seconds to have access to her emails, but then, there it was. The icon of an unread message entitled _WF_. Moving as fast as it was possible, Kate opened the message and, as soon as she did that, she felt like she had entered an alternate reality. _"What the hell–"_

No one noticed at first the sudden change in Kate's behavior; they only realized that something was startling her when her voice came from somewhere behind more than a little bit altered.

"I need to speak with Thomas Hillborne."

Her tone was demanding and it made everyone turn to look at Kate. As they did, they could see her expression had changed along with her voice and she seemed to be exasperated.

Danny had opened his mouth in an attempt to talk to Kate but, before he could think of something to say, she was already speaking quite harshly to whoever it was on the other side.

"I didn't ask what he's doing or who he's with, I said I need to speak with Thomas Hillborne now."

Danny and Kono shifted their gaze to the two Interpol Agents that were sitting next to Kate, quietly asking what on Earth had happened but they knew just as much as the two Five-0s.

Kate glanced at the screen that had images of the exterior of the van and, when she saw the place was clean, she opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle - she needed fresh air, and it was getting harder to breathe inside.

The four people just watched as she left without a word. They were slightly worried with her erratic behavior so, after exchanging a look with Kono, Danny stood up rather quickly and followed Kate outside, giving everyone a reassuring nod before closing the door behind his back.

.

_"Catherine, what is going on?"_ Finally she heard of her former boss and, judging by how he wad said word very slowly, she could tell he wasn't trying to hide the concern behind his words.

"I need a favor, and I need it fast."

_"What is it? Something happened with the Ashcroft's son?"_

Kate should have seen this coming. Hillborne knew what they were doing and he knew all about the operation they were currently involved so, it was only natural that he thought her phone call was about that. It wasn't.

"No. Fabian hasn't arrived yet," she explained pacing through the sidewalk. Kate noticed Danny jumping out of the van a couple of seconds ago and he was now standing next to her - that's why she was pacing. She didn't want to be questioned about what had just happened; at least not until she had cleared some things. "It's about something else. I need everything you can find on Hellen Masters. I sent you a photo and I really need this, Thomas. It's very important."

_"Who's Hellen Masters?"_

Kate could hear his finger working on a keyboard as he asked that question. She knew he was checking his email to see the photo she had send him. The same photo that Trish sent her and that had brought her to this moment.

"Someone who showed up in another case I'm working," she explained shortly. "But, back in DC, Trish couldn't find much on her so, I need your help."

_"Alright. I'll see what I can do and I'll call you back in a few."_ No one said any goodbyes, they just hang up.

Kate had her phone held tightly in her firm grip. She had finally stopped pacing but she was still very confused. Sure she succeeded and took the Australians out of her head for a while but that wasn't worth any celebration.

As soon as she opened the email that Trish had sent and as soon as the picture showed up on the small screen of her BlackBerry, she felt her heart skipping a beat then sinking. The woman that she knew by the name of Hellen Masters was familiar to her; she had seen that face many times before and it came as a shock when she saw it again.

It was a blonde woman, probably mid forties, maybe more, she couldn't tell for sure, but she was still incredibly beautiful. Even though she had the image of a younger version of that woman in mind, she knew it was her. It was the same face she saw every day in that frame by the phone. The once long and blonde hair was cut short, the eyes without one distinguishable color, the eyebrows, the nose, even the way she held her head up high on that photo.. Her features, her traces, everything was so oddly familiar and that's what caused her unexpected strong reaction.

It was too unreal. If her line of thinking was right, and Kate was pretty sure she wasn't wrong, that photo should be from about ten years ago approximately, and that was so not possible.. That woman, she was-

"Kate?"

Danny's voice brought Kate back from her thoughts and straight into reality.

"Yes?" she said turning to face him; he was less than a meter away from her.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, sure.. I just- I just learned something.."

Hearing those words made Danny budge. "What is it?" There was a growing tension built in his words; they were getting closer and closer to the moment where they'd have to make a move and, when Kate stormed out of the van with Thomas Hillborne on the phone, it made Danny and everyone else feel like something was wrong. "Who's Hellen Masters?"

Kate sighed. She really didn't want to talk about that, not when she still had millions of doubts popping in her head and no plausible answer.

"I'm not sure yet." That wasn't true, but she would stick with that until she had some answers. But Danny wasn't giving any signs of accepting just that so she continued: "it's a name that Trish found while digging on the cases on the Yakuza.."

"Woah, wait a minute.. Yakuza? As in-"

"Wo Fat's case. Yes."

"Okay," Danny said taking a step forward. "Why are you going through it when we're on something else right now?"

Kate almost smiled when Danny approached her like that; he looked so much like a detective right now..

"Unwind," she said simply, but regretted it when his response was almost identical to Steve's.

"You use case files to unwind?"

"It helps me to clear my head and sort of open my mind, but right now, I was just trying to focus on something else.. I really needed a distraction here, Danny."

Kate's words were choked with emotions she was desperately trying to hide, but Danny knew how to read people, and he knew what she was going through; not literally, but he could imagine how tough this was on her. I mean, it was hard for everyone having such intricate case in their hands; it should be living hell to Kate, given her involvement with this.

"I get it, Kate. I really do. This is hard - waiting. No one likes it.. But, we're working on this, right? And we'll do whatever we can to end this." Danny watched as the tough FBI Agent sighed in front of him; she looked exhausted but wasn't giving any signs of slowing down or backing off – Danny respected that, but he also wondered if she wasn't pushing it too far. "I think we should go back in there," he said checking his watch – it was almost four. He was also trying to stop thinking about that. If Steve agreed to that, well, that had to mean something. He knew that Steve wouldn't allow someone's presence on the field if he didn't believe the person wasn't alright and fit – especially Kate.

"Yeah," she said emotionless. Going back inside that van wasn't exactly something that would cheer Kate but now, she was feeling so confused that she followed Danny with no resistance.

.

"Is.. everything okay?" Kono asked Kate when she occupied the chair next to the door once again.

Honestly, Kate was getting tired of that question, but she just nodded and muttered a polite "yes". There was no need to be rude or start to get bitchy.

"Alright," Kono said turning her attention back to everyone, and Kate was so glad that she did so. "So, Steve checked in. He said that the control tower confirmed the flight that's taking Fabian Ashcroft to Hawaii will land in about fifteen minutes.. I think you should gear up."

Kate followed Kono's eyes to a silver brief case that she knew that held the microphones and radios. Unlike their undercover mission, this time, they would use communicators and people would only listen if they used the microphone that should be pinned on the sleeve of their shirts or on the Kevlar vest; Kate liked this one better. The radios would be used to communicate with the rest of the people, since not everyone would be wearing the wires.

With a short nod, Kate took one of the wires and, while she put one end in her ear, she passed two others to Connor and Porter and, ultimately, she put the radio on her belt.

"We're good," she said when Connor and Porter already had their communicators ready. Danny was just fixing the microphone on the sleeve of his usual dress shirt.

"Alright. Everyone is ready, boss," Kono informed.

_"Good. Everyone take your positions; we'll be moving soon." _

Even though he was being strictly professional, Steve's voice was like a breath of fresh air in Kate's life. For the few seconds when she heard his voice, she managed to focus solely in what he was saying and she almost forgot about everything else. Almost.

As soon as his voice stopped, Kate followed Connor and Porter and stood up rather quickly.

"Let's go guys," Kate said simply and just like that, the two Interpol Agents had left. Turning to face the two Five-0s, Kate just gave them a small smile before leaving the van as well. She didn't want to say anything; everything that she could think of, sounded like an eerily goodbye and there wouldn't be any goodbyes. So, she just jumped out of the car and walked to her own vehicle.

Connor and Porter had parked the Avalanche right next to her Aston Martin and the three of them just exchanged a glance when Kate opened the trunk of her car to reveal quite an arsenal. She had at least two of each weapon - sniper rifles, automatics, semi-automatics, revolvers and shotguns - more than just a couple of grenades and ammo. Lots and lots of ammo. Also, just for safety, she had a dismantled rocket launcher she had in that trunk. The Avalanche's trunk wasn't much different, but it had more weapons than hers.

"Woah.."

Kate was just taking a Benelli M1 Super 90, 12-gauge shotgun when she heard footsteps by her side; it was Danny.

"And I thought Steve was the one whose life's revolved around armed conflict," he blurted, taking a step closer to her car. "Mind if I ask where did you get all this stuff?"

"They're mine," she said calmly as she reached for the case with ammo for her Smith & Wesson .500 – Danny was already familiar with that one.

"Wow.. I don't know if I'm relieved that you're working on our side, or if I should fear for my integrity."

"Trust me, Danny," she said closing the trunk with a thud, with a minuscule smile on her face, an attempt to ease the mood a little. "You'll always be safe if I'm the one behind the trigger."

"Yeah," he said walking back to his Camaro with Kate by his side. "Ever since I got Steve to be my partner I've been accumulating some bad experiences, including being shot at so, forgive me if I'm having a bit of a hard time assimilating your words.."

Kate's smile grew a bit bigger; it was impressive how Danny could always make her smile, no matter how crappy the situation was and she would be eternally thankful for that, even though it made her think about her brother and, for a brief second, she thought about the possibility of never seeing him again. She shook her head, trying to shake that thought away but it wasn't very effective.

"Don't worry," she said, holding onto that smile like her life depended on that. "I promise you I won't shoot you and I'll do my best to keep you from being shot at."

"Thanks, it means a lot."

Kate's smile grew a bit bigger and Danny smiled in return as he walked around his Camaro and stood by the driver's door. Sharing one last glance, they sit behind their wheels to wait. That was it. The moment was getting spooky close and they needed to focus.

Somehow, Kate managed to keep her mind empty. She successfully blocked everything that was messing up with her concentration and started thinking about nothing; just a big white board, completely empty - that's what her head was like. She was calm and had everything under control, just waiting for Steve's "go" so they would start that goddamned operation. But, Kate's calmness didn't last too long.

It was 4:01pm when her phone rang - it was Thomas Hillborne. Struggling to regain control over her emotions that were threatening to get out of control, she answered it rather calmly, keeping the microphone she had pinned to the sleeve of her jacket farther away from her lips as it was possible - she didn't want an audience this time. Not again.

"Taylor."

_"I got what you asked, Catherine.."_

"Good," she said abruptly. She was now minutes from hearing Steve's command and she just didn't have time for long explanations. "I'm a little busy so, send it to me, please."

_"Sure, but Kate-"_

"Not now, Thomas. I don't have time," she cut him off. "Just tell me one thing - is she dead or alive?"

There was a moment of silence that was only filled by Thomas's heavy breathing. The lack of answer was getting Kate more and more nervous by the second and she really didn't need that; she was just about to ask it again, not so softly when he spoke the words she was not looking forward to hear.

_"She's alive." _Kate felt a lump forming on her throat and, suddenly, it was hard to swallow or breathe. She had an answer, but that only added thousands of other questions to the already large pile of questions without answers. Why? How? What's her involvement with this crap? Why? God, that was way too much.. _"But Ka-"_

"Thanks, Thomas. I owe you a lot but I'm afraid I'll have to call you back later. Bye."

Kate didn't even wait for him to say goodbye; she just ended the phone call. She tightened the grip on the steering wheel; she was struggling with every breath of air that she could inhale - Great. Now that.. She closed her eyes for a second, but regretted it immediately. As she did so, the portrait with the photo of the blonde woman hugging two kids showed up. She snapped her eyes open, trying to stop thinking about it, but it was like the image was burned in her eyelids and, every time she blinked she had a glimpse of that.

The woman on the photo was a mom.. and the two kids she was hugging, were her kids – Mary Ann and Steve. Steve's mother was alive. Kate was stuck in what she considered to be the greatest dilemma of her life; she knew she needed to tell Steve that his mother was still alive, he had the right to know that.. but she couldn't stop thinking about one things: why she faked her death or pretended to be dead this whole time. That question was eating her alive and it also made her question so many other things, such as if her real name was Hellen Masters or it was an alias, or what was her involvement with the Japanese Mafia since her name appeared constantly on this investigation report that was conducted by some agency a few years back..

There were so many question marks and she really needed to read the file that Hillborne sent her. Not just to get the answers she was looking for, but also because she knew she needed to tell Steve about all that – even though she didn't know how or when to tell him. If she waited too long, he'd be pissed because she knew she didn't have the right to keep that from him, but she needed to see what was behind all that, and she couldn't just rush and tell him.

Kate was so not looking forward to that moment..

. . .


	37. Chapter 37

**Aloha everyone!**

****Thank you to those brave little soldiers who are still with me; s**pecial thanks to ******francis2 **for encouraging moi and keeping me going**_ (I know it was quite an odd moment but there's a reason for that, I promise)_

**New chapter and well, I sure hope you guys enjoy.  
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* * *

><p>Kate barely had time to worry over the fact that Hellen Masters was the woman she'd seen in the family portrait at Steve's house when Steve himself pulled her out of her trance.<p>

_"The plane has landed. We'll be out in a few. Everyone, be ready."_

She was stuck in the middle of two awful situations, but the serious tone that he used made Kate shut off all thoughts that were distracting her from that moment, from what they prepared themselves to. Thanks to her training, she managed to push all of that to the back of her head and lock them there – Hellen Masters included. There was no point in worrying about that if they weren't successful with this one case they had now.

When Steve spoke again, even though she was concentrated on what she had to do, Kate felt her heart stop beating for a second.

_"We have him,"_ he said, indicating he had Fabian Ashcroft. _"We're coming out now."_

Kate turned the engine of her car and waited. She was so nervous that when the passenger door opened, even though she was expecting it, Kate's hands instinctively flew to the shotgun that was lying on the passenger seat.

"Hey, it's just me."

It was Chin and she quickly put her Benelli in the space between her door and seat, so he could sit by her side. He would tag along with Kate and they, along with two other cars, would escort Steve, Cahill and Fabian all the way out of the Airport to the HQ.

The HPD would take alternate routs for extra protection, Danny and Kono would be the first car, right in front of Chin and Kate, Connor and Porter would drive behind Steve. The SWAT team would also follow, but not closely; they didn't want to draw that much of attention and, in case they were needed, they could count on the surprise element. It was a big thing but then again, they were trying to avoid an international incident of big proportions.

"You seem distressed," Chin pointed out when he closed the door. Kate glanced at the Asian man by her side; she was indeed feeling that it was getting on her nerves but, when she saw Chin and his always so calm attitude, she felt the tension was a little less intense. Chin had this soothing thing going on and she was suddenly thankful for not being alone.

"Can you drive?" he asked carefully. He knew how wild she could get and, knowing she was under great pressure, he wanted to make sure that she didn't explode.

"Yeah," Kate said pushing a strand of hair that escaped her ponytail behind her ear with one hand. "I can drive."

She needed to drive. Driving was part of who she was and she needed to feel she was in charge of at least one thing because everything else was beyond her power to control. Kate needed to feel the steering wheel in her grip, the pedals beneath her feet, the engine roaring as she went through the curves and straight lanes – driving was like a therapy, and she just need that feeling of reassurance.

"Alright," Chin said looking at the gates that granted access to the runway, in case it was needed. He could see the black SUV stopping in front of it as a man opened it. "Here they come," Chin said sitting straight on the passenger seat; he had the radio in one hand and the other was holing his Remington 1100. He glanced at Kate quickly and, before the gates were completely open, he added a "Let's go" and Kate was already on her way out of the parking lot, following Danny's Camaro, that was right in front of her.

.

Once they hit the road, Kate expected to be at least a little bit startled, but instead, she found herself surprisingly calm.

She could see Steve on her rearview mirror, Danny in front of her and she knew that Connor and Porter were right behind the black Escalade that Steve was driving.

Everything was going fine, until she saw something that caught her attention. They hadn't driven over three miles when Kate's calmness changed into alertness. Maybe if the situation was different, it wouldn't stand out, but the black Civic that she saw driving by her car, raised a red flag on Kate's radar.

"Hey, Chin," she called for the man sitting right beside her. "Can you reach the laptop that's behind my seat?"

Chin looked at Kate who had her eyes fixed somewhere on the road ahead of them. He could see she was serious again so he did as she asked and grabbed the black case and took Kate's laptop out of it.

"I need you to check a plate for me," she said when she heard the sound of her laptop being powered on.

Chin instantly frowned when she said that. "Why? What's going on?"

"I can't tell for sure," she said as her eyes shifted to the rearview mirror. "But I think I've seen the same car passing through us again.. for the second time."

Up until now, Kate didn't hear a thing from Steve or Danny or anyone else for that matter. Maybe she was being paranoid, but her cop instincts were telling her that she wasn't overreacting – and she trusted her instincts very badly.

"Okay," Chin said after a hand full of seconds or so. He didn't ask why she was doing that because he knew that case had more impact on Kate than on anyone else so he decided that questioning her motives wasn't necessary. "What's the plate?"

"Hotel, Delta, nine, four, eight, India."

Chin typed the letters and numbers and a result popped out. "License plate is registered to a woman named Michelle Cabot, owner of the white Crown Victoria with n–"

"Woah, woah!" Kate interrupted Chin and he looked at her with an eyebrow arched. "White Crown Victoria? The plate I gave you was from a black Civic."

The two people inside the car were suddenly on high alert mode; the same thoughts running in their heads – a car with fake license plate driving by was not a good thing. Kate and Chin just exchanged a concerned look and, even though they didn't say anything, Chin knew what she was thinking: everyone else needed to know.

"Guys, watch out for a black Civic. License plate Hotel, Delta, nine, four, eight, India; repeat: Hotel, Delta, nine, four, eight, India. Kate said she saw it passing us two times now."

_"I've seen a black Civic,"_ Danny replied almost immediately, his voice just as serious as Chin's when he alerted everyone to the suspect vehicle. _"It just passed us. What's wrong with it?"_

"The license plate is cold," Chin answered. His eyes flew to the woman by his side, but her attention was outside. "It's originally registered to a white Crown Victoria; records is clean, not even a speed ticket."

_"How did you find out?"_ Steve asked, his voice was a mix of curiosity, concernment, maybe worry.

"I didn't," Chin said simply. His eyes were drawn back to the driver's side, this time, he found Kate looking at hi. "Kate did. I just did as she asked and ran the plate."

Kate looked at Chin for not longer than a couple of seconds and smiled mildly at him; then, just as fast as she did it, she glued her eyes back on the road and on her rearview mirror, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

_"Great job, Kate."_ Steve's voice went softer and everyone noticed it – Kate was no exception. She smiled when her eyes shifted to the rear view mirror and she saw Steve, looking right back at her.

But she didn't even have time to reply to that when she saw something else that was way too out of context, in Hawaii or anywhere else in the world. Three motorcyclists, wearing motorcycle racing suits made of black leather, black helmets with the visor also darkened, and they were driving some nice machines – Kawasakis, maybe. Definitely motorcycles made for racings.

"There are three motorcyclist coming our way and I don't think their intentions are good," Kate told Chin; she had also brought her left wrist close to her mouth so her now partner wasn't the only one to hear that.

_"Yeah, I saw them,"_ Steve replied instantly. He had seen them not too long ago. _"They came out of a building, a few yards back and I agree with you; I don't think they're late for a race.."_

Chin had just requested two cars to back them up when they heard shots being fired.

Suddenly, so many voices started talking, all at the same time, asking _what the hell was that?_ – some not that polite, but still. Kate's first thought was the three men on the car behind her.

"Steve, are you alright?" Her voice was edging hysterical but she didn't care about that the least bit. She just wanted to make sure he and everyone else in that car were alright.

_"Yeah, we're good,"_ he replied a little startled, at the same time Cahill's voice let her know they were shooting at the car behind. _"Connor! Porter! Answer!"_

At that point, they all had sped up, trying to escape the rain of bullets that still hadn't ceased.

"CONNOR! ANSWER!" Kate yelled as her feet slammed the break so she could make a turn to the right, following Danny.

_"We're good!"_ Porter shouted back._ "The car is armored, so we're good for a while. We'll stop them; keep going."_

Kate didn't like that, or anyone else in that group. But, since she was held "responsible" for them, she was the one to give the orders that they had to take; she was about to order him not to, but what came out was: "Alright. But get back in formation as soon as you've finished."

She felt Chin's wide open eyes on her profile; she knew her decision was a bit surprising, but they needed to eliminate all sorts of obstacles. It could be a bit messy and she would have to get through a huge and awful lot of paper work and bureaucracy later but would not allow their side to have any losses. Not this time.

_"Kate, what are you doing?"_ She had just pulled out when Chin, Steve and Danny asked the same question at the same time – spooky timing.

"KEEP GOING! Do not stop or slow down. Just. Keep. Going." Kate shouted when she noticed Danny slowing down and Steve not speeding up to pass her. "We're down one car and two men for now. While Connor and Porter are stuck with the man in leather outfit, Chin and I will cover the back so, keep going." Kate tried to stay calm but it didn't work exactly like she was expecting; she knew she was drifting back to her old self, the version of Kate that people weren't very fond of. But one thing was keeping her from just jumping into that and not look back. Chin. She wasn't alone and she couldn't risk his life. Kate thought that maybe Steve did that on purpose – not leaving her alone. It was good; Kate needed to admit that Steve was good.. She just wished he wasn't that good because, if he wasn't, then she wouldn't have to think twice when she saw the Civic appearing again.

"Goddammit," she hissed when the car started to grow on her rearview mirror. "Chin, backup. Now."

Chin only had time to look back and see the car he had set the alert on everyone coming quite fast towards them. In no time, he had his radio close to his lips and Kate only heard him saying _"This is 10-Bravo requesting backup"_. Whatever words that followed his request, she didn't register; her brain had shut off everything around her and she was only trying to see who was driving that car.

Kate didn't hear Steve talking directly to her, telling her to "do not do anything stupid"; she didn't hear Danny and Kono questioning "what the hell was going on"; she didn't hear Cahill begging her to "please, don't do it"; she barely noticed Chin looking at her, then at the Civic and saying that SWAT was sending its helicopters – she had her eyes and full attention glued on the rearview mirror, on the car that had a cloned license plate and was driving damn fast in her direction.

Steve could see Kate from his mirror and he didn't like what he was seeing; even though it was only a reflection, he could tell that she wasn't in her normal self, and he was right to think all that, but he was considerably far. Chin, on the other hand, was than a meter from something that he could only define as the face of madness. She was showing no fear, no mercy, no nothing, just blind determination and endless will to strive – and that was the most terrible combination ever.

"Kate.." Chin tried to get her attention but she didn't listen. It was like she had gone deaf all of a sudden. "Hey, Kate!" He snapped his fingers next to her ear but, again, she didn't even budge; he thought she didn't listen but then, she asked him to "hold on" and he not only knew that she heard him, but that she had something in mind.

He figured out what was her plan when he saw the black Civic going to his left, showing he would try to pass Kate when she did just the same and blocked the car. They avoided a side collision for mere inches, thankfully, there were no cars coming on the other lane since they were driving on a two-way street.

"Dammit!" Kate hissed to herself when she had to do the same thing again because the driver behind her wasn't showing any signs of giving up any time soon. That was not good. "Chin, do you think HPD can set a road block on the highway before we get there?"

Chin frowned inwardly; they were a couple of minutes from entering the highway. "It's possible.. bu–"

"We're being pursued and we need to neutralize this car. I can do it, but I can't risk civilian's lives," she answered his unspoken question.

.

Steve was really nervous on the Escalade the Interpol arranged. It was an armored vehicle so he wasn't fearing for his safety – or the safety of the VIP passenger he was driving –, but he could see Kate's stunts as she tried to avoid the black Civic to pass her. It wasn't a fair fight since Kate's Aston Martin was way more powerful than the Civic, but the driver was just as determined to succeed as Kate was to not let that happen, and that could go bad.

He was just thinking about it when he heard Chin speaking on the radio, requesting immediate road block on the highway. That wasn't part of their plan.

"Chin, what's happening?" He didn't even bothering hiding his nervousness; Kate had blocked the car again and, this time, the rear end of her car touched the front of the Civic. Because she had background on racing, she handled the car pretty well and kept it under control, but the other driver wasn't that lucky and he lost it for a second, allowing Kate and everyone else open some distance.

"Desperate measures." It was Cahill's voice that he heard, not Chin's; his words made Steve's mind go blank for longer than just a few seconds and, when he looked at Cahill, he found the man with the same look in his eyes – something along the lines of exasperation.

_"Not desperate!"_ Kate's voice greeted everyone's ears as she hit the gas pedal. _"I have everything under control!"_

_"It's more like — an unexpected turn of events." _Chin added slightly louder, thanks to what Kate was doing with that car. They had entered the highway and, because she was more than a little too fast, the car drifted. Never in his life, Chin Ho Kelly thought he'd go through something like that. What Kate was doing behind that steering wheel was crazy. Crazier than anything he'd ever been through, and he had seen Kono and Steve driving.

If Steve calmed down with Chin's words, it happened for only a split second, not long enough for him to enjoy it; as soon as the Civic appeared on his rearview mirror, Steve saw something that made blood freeze in his veins instantly. "GUN!"

Kate had just looked to her left and she saw the assault rifle that the man on the passenger seat was trying to aim at her.

"CHIN, GET DOWN!" She had just shouted it and hit the brakes when the man fired it and the bullet didn't hit her car only by inches. Kate could see the large projectile describing a parallel trajectory in front of her windshield.

She had just shifted back to second gear and was hitting the gas pedal once again when she spotted the front of the Chevy Avalanche; they had entered the highway and she glanced the bullet holes all over the driver's side and it made her heart sink in her chest – that and the fact that, because she hit the breaks, the Civic managed to pass her and was now dangerously close to the Escalade.

"Connor, Porter.. Are you alright?" she asked slightly worried with what she'd hear in response.

_"Yeah,"_ replied both agents and Kate let out a long sigh. She had been holding her breath unconsciously. _"We're good,"_ Porter continued. _"But the three men are gone."_

Kate barely processed the part where he said that the three motorcyclist were gone because, as soon as she heard the "we're good", her attention turned solely to the black car that was now aiming at the vehicle that Steve was driving.

Speeding up, she took her car to her left, going through the lanes, and leveled her car side by side with the Civic in a way that the passenger door of her car was facing the driver's door of the Civic. Suddenly, an idea crossed Kate's mind. Slowing down just a little, she let the black car gain a small advantage over her.

"Chin, shoot the rear window!"

The Asian man didn't even argue with Kate and did as she said. With two shots, the left window was shattered.

"Now open the glove compartment," she said glancing at all cars and making some mental calculations; the margin of error was pretty damn low but she had hopes that it would turn out well.

Again, Chin did as she said and opened the small compartment on the dashboard of her car; what he found there gave him a good idea of what was her plan.

"Really?" he asked glancing at Kate, but she wasn't paying any attention to him.

"Really. Take a grenade and remove the pin." Her words were very steady and certain, not leaving room for any further questionings. "When I say now, you throw it inside that car, through the broken window."

Chin stared blankly at Kate. She wanted to explode the vehicle. "_Seriously_?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Kate looked at Chin for a brief moment, but it was more than enough for him to learn that she was not joking. The first thing that crossed Chin's mind was that she was so much like Steve, maybe – just maybe – she would beat the ex-SEAL when it comes to craziness some time..

"Alright," Kate said looking back to the road. She could only see Danny's Camaro and Steve's Escalade; the Avalanche was behind and she didn't even bother with that. Her main concern was the Camaro. "Danny, can you go faster?" Kate asked as soon as the man opened fire against the Escalade.

Danny had been seeing what was going on and, even though he wanted to do more than what he was doing, he couldn't just do as it pleased him; there was a plan and, even though things were pretty messed up, he knew he needed to stick with the plan.

"Around 20 miles faster than now, why?"

"Damn.." Kate wasn't pleased with that answer. She needed Danny to speed up at least 30 more miles to avoid the explosion. "Alright, listen up everyone. When I say break, you all hit the breaks – IMMEDIATELY. And Danny, you and Kono get down. Do you copy?"

_"What?"_

_"Why?"_

_"What are you thinking?"_

Kate heard a wave of questions but she didn't have time for that now. "Just do as I say and when I say it! Do you copy?" Once again, Kate's words sounded like an order, with no room for questions, doubts or negotiations.

They all agreed, but, as she noticed, they weren't all satisfied with that. No one liked to be kept in the dark and Kate didn't like to keep them in the dark but she didn't have much time. They were going fast and there were some cars about thirty miles ahead. She needed to be fast.

"Alright.. Ready.. Ready.. BREAK!" Kate watched as everyone hit the breaks at the same time and the distance between them increased. "Chin, NOW!"

Chin threw the grenade through the windows and he noticed the Civic hadn't stopped yet. He imagined that Kate would stop as well but, instead, she accelerated. Not three seconds after the small explosive made its way inside the car, there was a huge explosion and the view of the black Civic was instantly replaced by flames as the exterior of the vehicle went a few meters on the air before landing with a loud crash on the road again.

"Is everyone alright?" Kate asked when she stopped her car, considerably far from where everyone else was. The fire that was taking over the car was obstructing her view so she couldn't tell if the explosion hit anyone.

Lucky enough, it didn't. Kate heard Danny, Kono, Steve, Cahill, Connor and Porter answering her question and she sighed loudly – she was relieved. Then she looked at the man by her side.

"Chin?"

"I'm good," he said with a nod and she smiled weakly at him.

"You might want to call the fire department," Kate said as she made a turn and drove towards the three cars that she had ordered to break; speaking of which, Kate heard Danny saying something along the lines of _"hanging out with McGarrett for way, __**way too long**__"_ and she assumed he was talking about her.

When Kate drove past the fire, she saw the three cars, some HPD patrols and the SWAT van. She wondered for how long they've been following them.

"We need to keep going," she said, turning once again to the right direction of the lane. And signaling Danny to start moving. This time, the SWAT Team following them closely.

.

If anyone assumed the attacks against them were done, it was so completely wrong.

The small group of cars had gotten out of the highway and were all back to the streets when the motorcyclist showed up again about 5 miles later; except for the simple fact that, this time, they were five, and they were coming from the front, like they were waiting.

"What the— I though I heard the bikers were gone!" Danny hissed when he saw the five men wearing black racing suits.

Kate had thought exactly what Danny said; the five men were standing about two blocks ahead, not moving.

"They are!" Connor shouted in response. It was true. He and Porter had to shoot the three men to avoid being killed. The three men were dead.

"They're not the same," Steve said, reducing the speed just like everyone else. "There's no way they would get here faster than us without passing through us."

Moving in perfect synchrony, the five men got out of their bikes and, before they did anything else, Kate knew what was to come.

"Chin, get out of the car." The man by her side just looked at her but she slammed the brakes and the car stilled. "Danny, stop. Right now, stop!" Kate shouted on the microphone and Danny did as she said and his Camaro came to a halt quickly. "Chin, get out! Now!"

In between protests, Chin did as she said only because Kate reached the passenger door, opened it and literally pushed Chin out.

Steve and Cahill were also talking to Kate but, before she could close the door, she put first gear and, hitting the gas, the rear tires left marks on the street and Kate drove past Danny's Camaro. The trunk of her car had barely passed the front of Danny's silver Camaro when Kate pulled the hand break and her car slid for a while and stopped; Kate managed to get her Aston Martin standing transversal to the lanes, blocking both ways.

Danny was about to ask what she was doing when he looked past the car and saw the five men had drew some heavy weaponry and were to open fire – they were the target.

"KATE!"

Behind Danny, there was a chorus of voices calling out her name as the sound of gunshots filled the air but she never responded.

"Stay here," Steve shouted at the young man, sitting on the back seat of the Escalade with two body guards on each side, before stepping out of the vehicle, followed closely by Cahill.

The two men were about to rush towards the car that was working as a shield to protect everyone else, still calling for Kate when they saw her. She was already out of the car and running with her head down, heading towards Danny. Steve noticed his partner had left the car as well and was standing behind the door, waiting for Kate.

Not wasting any minute, Steve ran in their direction, shooting every now and then.

"Kate, are you alright?" he asked when he stood by Danny.

"Fabulous," she replied, her Benelli in hand and, before Steve could think of something else to say, she stood up when the shots stopped for a second and fired two times before ducking again.

"Four to go," she announced on the microphone when she leaned against the door.

"Make it three," Steve corrected when he stood by her side. Kate grinned.

She looked forward and saw the Escalade was barely covered. Cahill was there, but he was the only one. Steve, Kono and Danny were all gathered by the Camaro. Chin was standing in between, but they still needed to keep their eyes on Ashcroft.

"We need to secure the Escalade," she told Steve and he nodded.

"Danny, Kono!" he called the two people that were with them. "We'll get to the other car. I need you to cover us."

"Got it!"

Mentally counting to two, Steve and Kate ran towards the black SUV as Danny and Kono opened fire against the three men that were still standing.

As soon as they take the first step, a bullet came out of nowhere from behind and hit the exact same spot where Kate was standing only seconds ago.

"They have snipers!" she shouted, increasing the speed. "How the hell they knew where to put snipers?"

"No idea," Steve replied bitterly as they reached the Escalade.

An ominous thought crossed Kate's mind – maybe they've been compromised. But that wasn't possible. That group stuck together throughout the whole time; if anyone had tried to leak any information, they would know. So how?

Kate soon brushed that thought aside when a second bullet hit the ground close to where she and Steve were standing. Kate instantly thought that, either the guy was a rookie or he was just really stupid because, judging the trajectory of the projectiles, he would never hit Steve or Kate; the armored car was on the way, not to mention he was trying to go against the wind. Instantly, she started analyzing the surroundings; there were some buildings with clean view but, according to the calculations she made quickly in her head, the shooter should be somewhere higher than the four to six floors buildings. That's when she spotted the higher one – maybe ten floors; it was far and against the wind and she was willing to bet the bullets were coming from that one.

"Stay here and secure the kid, I'll get to the Avalanche," she told Steve in a grave tone. He stared at her; there were so many emotions mixed in that look that Kate couldn't tell what the main one was. "I'll be fine. Trust me."

Steve nodded and, squeezing his arm gently, Kate turned her back to him and rushed to where the two Interpol agents were standing.

"There's a shooter!" Connor shouted when she slammed her body against the side of the truck. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know," she admitted weakly as a third bullet hit the side of the Avalanche. Nothing happened, though. The vehicle was heavily armored. "The shooter is in that building," Kate pointed to the unfinished construction with around ten floors, about a hundred and eighty six miles from where they were standing. "I need a rifle."

Connor looked at Kate blankly and, opening the back door, he pulled a long case and handed it to Kate. She peeked inside and smirked – a sniper rifle. "Thanks."

There was a small building exactly in front of where she was standing and, exchanging a quick look with Connor, Kate rushed towards the front door. No bullets followed her this time.

"Kate, where are you going?" It was Steve and, just like she was expecting, he wasn't happy.

"I'm gonna take down the sniper!" she shouted as she stormed through the doors of the building. She entered a commercial place; offices and stuff like that. Her dramatic entrance startled some people and the security, which caused her to flash her badge and give some brief explanation so she could get upstairs. Kate entered a Lawyer's office on the fourth floor and again, after some explanations, she managed to get the three people out of the room and she started to work on the weapon – less than a minute later, she had it ready and was already looking for the shooter.

"C'mon," she whispered to herself while she went floor by floor, starting with the higher one. "Where are you, you son of a bitch.. C'mon.."

It didn't take her a minute to find it. It was a man and once again, she didn't recognize him. That was both good and bad. Good because she wouldn't have to kill Brian – they planned to get him alive; but it was bad because she would have to kill someone, and she didn't like killing people.

Even though she found the man rather quickly, it took her over a minute to take the shot.

"Got it," she announced after two minutes. "Sniper's down."

To Kate, that was good news; but she couldn't even get content that she had taken down an invisible threat because as soon as her eyes went back to where everyone was staying, she saw a group of men, full loaded, coming from an alley in front of her.

"No.." Kate hissed before putting the rifle in position again and aiming that group. "Guys, there are about fifteen men coming towards you. They're coming from the right!"

They had barely heard Kate's words when gunshots were fired against them. Kono, Chin, Cahill and Porter were standing on the right side of the cars when the shoots began. They all dove into the vehicles but Porter didn't make it in time and he was hit.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

They all heard Connor and Kate hollering at the same time. The sound they made was not human and, before any words were uttered, they all knew what had happened.

"Officer down!" Kate said after a brief second, when she saw Connor getting into the car and pulling Porter towards him, to the "safe" side. She knew he needed help and he needed it fast. "Repeat, officer down. We need an ambulance STAT!"

The SWAT Team was working full throttle ever since Kate stopped the car in front of Danny's. When Connor got out of the car with Porter with him, two of them rushed over them to assist - judging by their certain approach, Kate assumed they had medical training, and not just basic.

Kate didn't waste that much time inspecting the two men wearing darker uniform work; she instantly turned to the men that had shot him. With four bullets, she put down four men in less than a minute; the Five-0s and the SWAT put down four more, so there were only six standing.

She was ready to take the fifth shot when someone threw a couple of gas bombs and it clouded her view.

Cursing the person who had thrown those things, Kate grabbed the sniper rifle, its case and made her way downstairs as fast as she could.

She had just walked out of the building – again, startling the few people who were at the lobby – and Kate saw something that made her heart stop beating for what seemed to be an eternity; thanks to that fog-ish thing that was obstructing everyone's view, no one saw it when three men, carrying submachine guns, managed to get to the driver's side of the Escalade. She saw Steve somewhere close, but he had his back to where the men were standing.

"Steve! Behind you!"

Steve heard Kate but he was only one to deal with three and, even though he was a SuperSEAL, not even he could deal with them; they should be fighters or something because they were big and strong. Steve tried to stop one of them from getting into the car but they should be wearing Kevlar vests because Steve tried to shoot the man on his side but he didn't see any blood.

Then, Kate witnessed something that numbed her. One of the guys hit Steve with such strength on the back of his head that he fell unconscious.

"STEVE!" Without think twice, Kate stormed out of the doors, took the revolver out of its holster and wore the strap band of the rifle across her torso.

Aiming at the head of the man who hurt Steve, Kate fired merciless – one man down. She had time to shoot at a second guy but, when she looked for the third, he was already inside the car and someone had opened the back door and pulled an unconscious Steve inside.

"NO! NO NO! STEVE!"

Kate had a clean shot on the man behind the wheel and she fired the last three shots but that goddamned glass they used in armored vehicles stopped the bullets.

Her eyes met the driver's and Kate held it. She burned the image of that man in her mind; all details of his face, the cold green eyes, the scar on his left eyebrow, his nose that seemed to be broken, the dark hair and dark scruff on his face.

The guy even smirked at Kate before hitting the gas pedal and driving away; it only added to the growing anger that was building inside.

"STEVEEEN!"

Kate let out a loud and throaty roar that made everyone feel a shiver down their spine that made their blood go cold - she sounded like a wounded animal; a damn pissed off wounded animal. When they got to the place they heard that, they found Kate, with her revolver held tight in her firm grip and her breathing was ragged.

Danny, Chin and Kono tried to get her attention but she wasn't listening. She was blind with rage, the blood boiling in her veins, mixed with the adrenaline got her deaf. Kate was unaware of everything and everyone around her. She had only one thing in her mind - Steve. She would find him - alive - no matter what and she would kill the son of a bitch who took him from her.

She had memorized the face of the driver. She concentrated all her anger, rage, disgust, hate and everything else she couldn't even name on that man. The next time she put her eyes on him, she would kill him. She didn't care what would happen to her afterwards, **she would kill him**. But before that, she would hurt him very badly, and only when she was satisfied with his suffering, she would end his stupid life. Kate wasn't worried about the boundaries of her job, the lines that separated the ethical from the non-ethical, the right from the wrong - it had vanished. Disappeared when they hurt Steve and then dragged him, unconscious, to the back of an SUV.

Without Steve, Kate had nothing to lose.

. . .


	38. Chapter 38

**Aloha everyone!**

****Like always, thank you to those brave little soldiers who are still with me.  
><strong>**

* * *

><p>Danny had called Kate's name for over three times already and she still didn't react. He was this close to grab her by the shoulders and shake her out of that trance when she spoke – her voice sounded hoarse and grave.<p>

"Are you guys alright?"

They could tell she was putting up one hell of a fight with herself inwardly. They all could see the turmoil in her eyes; she was dangerously close to the edge. They all were but Kate was taking that a lot harder than any of them.

"We're good," Kono said softly when no one said anything for a handful of seconds.

Kate just nodded at Kono before acknowledging Connor. He had joined them a couple of seconds ago.

"How's Porter?" she asked worriedly. Kate saw it when the Interpol Agent was shot.

"The paramedics managed to keep him stable and they're taking him to the Queens," Connor explained shortly what he heard from the man that provided medical assistance to his partner, but he could see that it didn't answer Kate's question. What she really meant to ask was: is he going to survive? Unfortunately, he didn't have an answer for that. Porter was hit in the leg and, if it hit the artery, he'd bleed to death – and he was trying his best to not think about it.

After a couple of seconds looking at Connor, Kate noticed he didn't have anything else to say by now so, once again, she scanned the place. Now, she could see better and the first thing she noticed was that the bodies – two of them were dressed in suits and she could only imagine they were some of the body guards that were there to protect Fabian –, the blood and the absence of one more than just one person.

"Where is Cahill?" Kate asked as she started walking towards the cars that were still there. She tried to ignore the hole where once was the Escalade, but it was useless. She couldn't stop going through the moment when three men overpowered Steve. Kate could feel her blood pumping faster than ever in her veins – she needed to find Steve and she needed to do it fast.

She had taken about three steps when Chin spoke somewhere behind her. "He's gone." Kate stopped on her tracks and turned to look at him. "They took him too.. and that's his blood," Chin said darkly, pointing to a small pool of blood, next to the alley and, as Kate remembered, to where the passenger door of the Escalade was.

She felt her stomach sinking in her body. It wasn't too much blood but still, Cahill was hurt and she couldn't allow her mind to think what would happen to him and Steve if she didn't hurry.

Connor had followed her and was practically by her side.

"Here," Kate said taking the rifle and handing it back to Connor. "Thank you."

"Wait," Connor said quickly as he took the rifle that she was practically pressing against his chest. "I'm with you."

"'Scuse me?"

"I said I'm with you," Connor said forcefully. "I worked with you a couple of times and I know you have something in mind. Whatever you're up to, whatever it is, I'm all in."

Kate gave Connor a "you-don't-need-to-do-it" look, but the man didn't budge. He was determined to find the guy who shot, not only his partner, but Cahill as well – they were from the same Agency and have been working together; as much as she'd like to, she couldn't shut him off.

"Just so we're clear," she said after a few seconds. "I don't encourage you to make this decision–"

"Yet, you already made it yourself," Connor retorted before she could finish that sentence, if she was to finish that. "Those men shot two of my people. One of them is on his way to a hospital to have surgery; the other is God knows where. Believe me, Kate, I don't care about boundaries right now."

Kate heard his speech and the only thing she could think of was herself. Connor's words were all so determined and he didn't mind what the consequences could be. Only then, Kate realized that's probably how she sounded all this time. It was crazy! She was insane. The amount of things that could go wrong were sky high.. "Fair enough," she said with a nod – at least they wouldn't do this by themselves; they'd be together. She also promised herself, once this was done, she would definitely not do that ever again. She would never be that distant and reckless. She would even see a therapist if it was necessary, but she would change.

Danny Chin and Kono had joined them not too long ago and they heard that ominous conversation. The three friends exchanged a worried look.

"Alright, what's the plan?"

Kate should see that coming but, when she heard Danny's question, she couldn't avoid the surprised look in her face.

"What? You didn't expect us to back down now, did you?"

"No, I didn't.." Kate really didn't expect that, not when Steve was gone. "I just didn't expect such enthusiasm.."

"So, what's the plan?" Kono asked shifting on the same place. They were wasting precious time.

"Find Steve and get him back," Kate said with emphasis, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

"Find him and get him back, that's nice." Danny chuckled but, when he looked at Kate, he noticed she wasn't smiling. She really meant that. "Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack." Kate saw Danny's brows arching, meaning he wasn't enjoying it that much.

"Tell me what you have in mind is legal."

Kate and Connor exchanged a look – what she had in mind wasn't exactly okay, but desperate times required desperate measures. And with every second they were stuck there talking, Kate was really edging desperation.

"Good Lord, have mercy on us," Danny said through teeth. "Okay. Fill me in – how exactly we'll do it?"

"First of all we need a place to start," Kate said simply as she put her brain to think as hard as it was possible. "Connor, any locations where they might have taken the – hostages?"

Kate felt knots being formed in her stomach when she said the word 'hostage'. She hated thinking like a abduction case because they could go wrong in so many ways, but she forced herself to push those thoughts aside and lock them behind a thick door. She didn't have the luxury to panic or overthink; she needed to be at the top of her game – Steve needed her to be perfect.

"I can think of at least half dozen of places," Connor answered weakly.

"Not to mention they knew exactly where to strike. They had it all planned." Kate swore quietly, pushing her brain to work faster and harder. Chin only spoke what they were all thinking; how on Earth they knew exactly what to do, how to do, where to strike? Their precision was surgical and it was nerve-wracking.

"C'mon, c'mon.. There has to be something.." Kate muttered, more like talking to herself and not adding more pressure to an already stressed group.

"I can try to track Steve's phone," Kono suggested when Kate started pacing in an alarming fast speed. Hearing that, made her stop in her tracks immediately. "If his phone and the GPS are on, maybe I can get the coordinates–"

"Can you do that as we drive?"

"I'm gonna need a laptop.."

Kono had just finished it and Kate rushed to her car. She prayed for her laptop to be functional after the wave of bullets her car received.

"Oh my.." Kate pulled it from beneath the passenger seat and, to her relief, it was intact – _"Thank Heavens"_ – she couldn't say the same about the right side of her car though...

"Here," she said handing the electronic to Kono. "It has a safe connection in case you need it."

Kate left the Asian woman working on it as she went exploring the surroundings along with Chin and Danny – Connor was talking to the SWAT men.

The street looked like a war zone. Bodies, blood, shell cases, marks of tires on the ground.. It was the latter that caught Chin's attention.

"Kate, I think you should see this," he said looking at her and the ground.

Kate had been looking for the communicators that both Steve and Cahill were using but those were nowhere to be found – she hoped they were still wearing them.

When she stood by Chin's side, he pointed to the tire marks on the ground. According to the burnt rubber, they drove past her car and forward. Following the track with her eyes, she acknowledged something very unpleasant to the eyes – the man who was driving the Escalade drove over the body of one of the motorcyclists that were killed, leaving a trail of flesh and blood.

"They went this way," Chin said pointing the hideous marks on the road. "And, apparently," he continued taking a few steps forward. "Made a turn to the right over there."

Looking ahead, where Chin pointed marks of rubber on the ground. They were in a hurry, meaning she needed to start moving real soon.

"Kono!" Kate shouted as she ran back to where the Asian woman was working on her laptop. "Please, tell me you have something," she pleaded when she stopped in front of her; Chin joined them shortly.

"Almost," Kono answered completely focused on the screen and her fingers never leaving the keyboard.

Kate looked at Chin who was standing right next to her; her eyes were livid with torment. She couldn't deal with one more minute standing there, doing nothing. She needed to get out of that place.

.

Danny walked through the street, not believing what his eyes were seeing. It felt like he was in a movie location, except for the fact that those were real dead bodies, real blood and they were facing one hell of a real threat.

Thinking about that, he remembered what Chin said – "they knew exactly where to strike". The possibility of a mole was haunting Danny. But who? How? A thought crossed his mind; it seemed to be impossible, but then again, it was not possible for them to know exactly where they'd be.

Danny looked for Kate and found her and Chin talking to Kono. Great.

"Hey Kate!" Danny shouted; with five quick steps, he stood in front of her. "Can you call your friend in DC – Trish?"

Kate squinted lightly at that unusual request. "What for?" she asked as she reached for her cell phone.

"I'm thinking, whoever leaked the information about our route must have some connection with the Australians or Brian Sheppard. Maybe she could find someone like that who's somehow involved with this operation."

Kate's eyes brightened with Danny's brilliant insight. She smiled at him; it was very useful to have other people with her, after all, she didn't think about that – her mind was fully loaded and she was starting to miss things. Soon enough, she had Trish on the phone and was quickly told her what happened, everything that Danny just said and asked her to use her magic to find something they could work with.

_"I'm already on it, sweetheart,"_ Trish said quickly; Kate could hear the sound of her keyboard and she knew the TA was working really fast. "And Kate.." Trish made a pause and it made Kate want to hang up instantly. Knowing Trish, Kate really wasn't up to answer any questions such as "how-are-you-holding?" or "are-you-alright?" right now.. Surprisingly enough, she didn't ask any questions, instead, she just said: _"You'll find him, darling."_

"I know, Trish," she said in agreement. Her voice sounded a bit grim but Trish didn't say anything about it. "I know." It was more than just a statement. It was a promise. "Call me when you find something."

As soon as Kate disconnected the phone call, Kono had news.

"I got it," she said triumphantly. "According to the GPS on Steve's phone, they're heading north and still moving."

Kate felt a little bit of hope sparking in her chest.

"Great. Let's go, people," she said running to her car. "Kono, guide me through it."

Jumping behind the steering wheel, Kate hoped the bullets didn't ruin her engine. "Please, please.." She turned the key on the ignition and the roar of her car coming to life filled her ears and it made her heart skip a beat. "Thank you," she whispered closing her eyes.

The sound of her passenger door being open brought her back from her instant state of peace of mind. Looking at her side, she saw Chin occupying the passenger seat again.

"You're gonna need to find a very nice place to have your car fixed," Chin said when he closed the door.

The right side of her car looked like a sieve. It had more holes than she could count.

"Yeah," she said putting first gear and getting it back on the road. Surprisingly enough, they didn't shoot the tires – maybe they didn't think they'd make through it. "Honestly, that's the very least thing I'm worrying about now.."

**xxx**

When Steve regained consciousness, he found himself lying very uncomfortably on the back seat of a car – it was moving and quite fast. He tried to move but his hands were cuffed behind his back, so he didn't go much further.

Mentally cursing no one in particular, he shut his eyes closed. Even though Steve knew that he didn't really stand a chance against three men of the size of "The Rock"*, he couldn't help but think that he could have done more..

Steve's head was pounding, his neck was hurting like hell but whatever discomfort he was feeling was now a huge second priority. Blinking a couple of times, Steve acknowledged some important things – he was in the Escalade, Fabian Ashcroft was in there, along with an unconscious and bleeding Christopher Cahill.

Again, he mentally cursed no one in particular; he was just damn frustrated. He had failed. The plan failed, the secure system they came up with failed, but what was bothering him was the he failed on keeping his promise. Thinking it wasn't his fault wasn't helping because he knew that, at this very moment, Kate was going through some sort of déjà vu, and he couldn't bear it.

"Shit!" he shouted at himself in his head. What if she was in danger? What if she put herself in danger? Steve couldn't even consider the possibilities but they were there. And they were there to stay.

_"Steve.."_

For a moment, Steve thought he was hearing things. He had just thought about Kate and now he was hearing her voice and it was calling his name.. Maybe it was consequence of the blow to his head.

_"Steve, are you there?"_

He heard his name being called again but, this time, it wasn't Kate. It was Chin, and he wasn't hearing things. It was the communicator he had in his ear – he was still wearing it. But he couldn't answer to that because the microphone he had pinned to his shirt wasn't where he remember putting it. _Damn.._

Instantly, he forgot about any pain he was feeling; his team was after him and he needed to help them somehow.

His eyes shifted to the two men that were sitting on the front seats – none of them seemed to have noticed Steve was awake. Taking some advantage on that, he studied the interior of the vehicle.

He noticed the two body guards were nowhere to be found and, even though he couldn't see the trunk, he doubted they were there. He didn't find any weapons in the back; he could see the two men were carrying shotguns but that was it, but then, he touched his right ankle with his left foot and noticed something that made him smile inwardly - his 9mm. was still there. Then, trying his best to not draw any unwanted attention to himself, he tried to find if he still had the microphone or it was taken off.

**xxx**

"He's still not answering.."

Kate and Chin had been trying to get a word on Steve. There was a possibility he was still wearing the wires and they were holding on to that, but, using Chin's words, he was not answering..

"Crap!" Kate hissed when she made a sudden turn to the left, following Kono's instructions. They were driving for about ten minutes, and the Escalade had at least five minutes of advantage over them.

"Steve?" Kate called his name again on the microphone but no answer followed it. "C'mon, Steven.. Give me something," she pleaded quietly, almost like a prayer. Then, she added mentally: _"Anything."_

Kate wouldn't let go. She knew there were three possible scenarios: Steve was still unconscious, in which case, she hoped to make him regain consciousness and answer; the wires had been found and they destroyed it; or the one to answer wasn't Steve, but one of the men who took him. In any case, she wouldn't give up.

"C'mon, McGarrett.."

Chin had his attention divided on Kate and the road ahead. Surprisingly enough, she seemed to be a little calm; sure she was still shaken, but still.. And the road..

"I think I know where they're heading to," Chin said after a moment. When Kate turned to look at Chin, she saw nothing in his eyes – they were blank. "North shore," he said talking on the microphone. "Mokuleia."

Kate heard a thump coming from her earbud followed by a "shit!". Danny.

"What?" Kate asked confused.

"Three words," Danny said annoyed. "Mokuleia Forest Reserve."

Kate groaned. "Tell me you know the forest," she said looking at Chin; her words sounded a lot like a plea.

"I do," he said with a small smile.

Kate heard Kono's instructions again and followed it thoroughly; she didn't know Oahu that well but, as they drove north, she couldn't help but think that Chin was right. Kate acknowledged the woods that appeared to be only increasing.

"Great," Kate said to Chin with a smile that looked weird, probably bitter. "We'll need it."

**xxx**

Steve tried to answer Kate and Chin, but his microphone had fallen and it was covered by his Kevlar vest. _Great._

He had been trying to send a message to his team, but he was epically failing. He couldn't get the Morse code properly so it was really frustrating. Steve grunted quietly but the people inside the car noticed it – not only the drivers, but also Fabian, who had regained consciousness as well.

"Wh-What's going on?" Fabian growled weakly.

Steve saw a bruising starting to show on his right cheek and he notices there was a little bit of blood on the corner of his mouth. Obviously he had tried something and was hit with what seemed to be the stock of a shotgun.

"Shut up," said the man who was sitting on the passenger side. "And you," he added looking to Steve. "Stop quivering, or I'll shoot you.. Lieutenant Commander."

Steve didn't even flinch when the man used his rank – the guy knew his name, _big whoop_. Instead, he just stared at him. Indifference pained his iris as rage came from every single pore of his skin but he still didn't budge.

"That's right," the man continued. "We know about you, Steven McGarrett. And I must say, you are a huge pain in the ass.."

"Well, I'll take that as a compliment," Steve retorted, sitting straight on the back seat.

Even though he was handcuffed, outnumbered and in clear disadvantage, Steve didn't feel the least bit intimidated by those men. They were three and had to use gas bombs to get him – that's not the kind of behavior that inspired any bad feelings whatsoever.

Maybe the guy noticed that, because he narrowed his eyes and his tone became harsher. "Take it as it pleases you," he hissed. "In a few hours, you'll be nothing but a body on the ground."

Steve raised his head as he glared at the man; he noticed he didn't have any accent and it made him frown inwardly but, more than that, he felt his blood boiling in his veins, thanks to the arrogant smirk the man had on his face. The first chance he had, Steve would gladly wipe that off.

"What? No witty comebacks, Commander?"

Before Steve could say anything, the man who was driving hissed annoyed. "Cut the crap and make the phone call, Gardner," he told the man sitting by his side.

Steve noticed the man checking his rearview mirror for the fifth time in a row. He couldn't see what the man was seeing and for a moment, he felt a shiver down his spine._ "Kate.."_ But when the man didn't say anything, Steve allowed the air to leave his lungs – unconsciously, he had held his breath, waiting for some sort of backup request or whatever.

As he gave in to that tiny little victory, Steve also noticed a low growl by his side. Looking past the scared figure of Fabian Ashcroft, Steve saw Cahill. He was slowly regaining consciousness and, just like Fabian and Steve himself, the blonde Interpol Agent seemed more than a little confused.

"Wha–"

He was about to ask what Steve assumed it was the same question that Fabian asked moments later, but his eyes met Steve's and he looked past him, outside the window and he knew. They've been taken.

"Shit!" Cahill hissed not so quietly causing the driver to shout at him. Steve noticed this guy, unlike the one who was on the phone, had an accent – maybe he was one of the men who worked for Brian, aka, Kevin.

"Wh-what's g-gonna happen to us?" Fabian stuttered, trying to keep his voice low when he turned to look at Steve and then to Cahill, begging for a positive answer, but the two men just looked back at him.

Fabian Ashcroft was most likely the main reason why they got this far. Because the heir of the Ashcroft's was way too arrogant to believe that people could get to him. But Steve and Cahill knew better than to put the blame on the kid; he was going through a lot of stress and it wouldn't help anyone if he got hysterical or God knows what.

"We'll figure a way out," Cahill said in between breaths.

Steve looked at the man with shades of concern appearing on his face but he noticed that, even though Cahill was bending over his right side, he didn't seem to be in critical state. On the contrary, when his eyes met Steve's, Cahill straightened just enough to let Steve see what he was trying to do.

Steve smiled inwardly when he noticed he had taken the microphone that he had pinned to the collar of his dress shirt, and brought it as close to his mouth as it was possible while keeping it hid under his shirt.

_"Christopher?"_ When Kate's voice spoke in their ears, they both shared a very subtle nod._ "Christopher, are you there? How's Steve?"_

"Hey," he said, pretending he was talking to Fabian, who was starting to panic. "We're good. We'll be fine."

It worked both ways. Kate got the message – _"Hold on, we're right behind you,"_ Chin spoke in response – and Fabian nodded, maybe a little too shaken and probably not believing that for a second but still, he seemed to be calming down at least enough to not cause a scene.

"Where the hell are we?" Cahill asked through teeth.

"Mokuleia Forest Reserve," Steve answered darkly and Cahill didn't need to ask him to elaborate on that – a large area, with nothing but trees would definitely complicate things more than a bit. Especially now that they were heading to the middle of the forest.

**xxx**

"They stopped," Kono informed everyone as soon as the dot that indicated Steve's cell phone kept blinking but without move.

_"Where?"_ Kate asked immediately.

"About.. Three miles from here."

_"We'll have to walk,"_ Chin said emotionless, a few meters ahead. Kono knew he was talking to Kate, but Danny dismissed that instantly.

"Three miles? You're joking right?" Chin didn't say anything regarding that and it made Danny flip out. "We can't! It'll take us forever to find them and we don't have time to waste!"

_"Danny's right, we can't walk three miles. Not now,"_ agreed Kate; her voice was just as blank as Chin's. She was trying to reason a way out of that but it was hard now that she knew that Steve was somewhere in the middle of that gigantic forest; she knew he was a trained SEAL and he had been through pretty awful situations, but she couldn't not worry. If something happened to him, she wouldn't handle..

_"The Avalanche," _Kate said almost happily, as if she just had a brilliant insight but Chin didn't follow. She noticed his curious gaze locked on her side and she imagined if the others understood what she was thinking. _"We'll all go with Connor, in his truck,"_ she explained to Chin and everyone else. _"We can stop about a mile away. The truck's engine isn't loud, it's way better to drive in this kind of environment than our cars and, honestly, I think it's the best choice we have."_

Connor agreed instantly and, after a couple of seconds, Danny, Chin and Kono also said yes to Kate's idea so they pulled out of the road.

"Connor!" Kate called out for the man in the truck as soon as he killed the engine of his truck. "Any idea how many people Brian has with him?"

"When he was with the Australians, he had approximately five men who always followed him," he said. "One was killed back there; my guess is that there might be at least four men with him. At least."

Connor didn't need to put an emphasis on the 'at least'; giving what they faced minutes ago, she knew there could be more. She just needed a number for starters.

"Alright, thanks."

Danny, Chin and Kono were standing next to Kate and it came as a surprise when she started running on the opposite direction – away from the truck and over to her car. Kono was about to ask what she was doing when Danny signaled her to follow. He saw Kate approaching the trunk and he knew what she was thinking.

"Gear up?" he asked when they joined Kate.

"You know it," she said with a smirk that, in Kono's opinion, felt ominous. And when Kate opened the trunk, a smile or amusement played with the corner of her lips.

"Wow.."

"Take anything," Kate told everyone as she helped herself with ammo for both her guns, put an extra .9mm on her back and took a large case that contained her rifle.

Danny, Chin and Kono followed Kate's advice and took a couple of weapons and ammo. Less than two minutes later, they were all inside the Avalanche and going to meet their destiny.

They were driving rather silently, except for the sound of everyone checking their guns and Kate worked on her Barrett sniper rifle. Suddenly, the truck stopped and Kate felt her stomach turning into knots.

Unlike everyone else, Kate had taken off the com, so she wasn't hearing anything that Cahill possibly had to say. She was trying to focus on the task ahead and couldn't be distracted – if there was anything she needed to know, someone would have told her.

"That's the farthest we can go," Connor announced when he killed the engine and left the truck to meet with Kate. "We're a little over a mile away but, if we get any closer, we're risking being heard.. I don't think we should push it."

Kate only nodded. She felt like her voice was lost somewhere below her stomach, and she didn't feel like looking for it right now.

"They're down there," Kono said indicating some place in the middle of the woods. They were at a higher position and she suddenly understood what Connor said about being heard. "According to Cahill, they're at some sort of cabin.."

Kate didn't know that and she suddenly remembered she had taken off the ear piece. Taking it back from her pocket, she put it back on.

"Alright," she said after a few seconds – her voice not louder than a sigh. "Let's go guys.."

. . .

* * *

><p>*Dwayne "<em>The Rock<em>" Johnson; professional wrestler, American actor.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Sorry it's taking me forever to update my stories. Life's sort of getting in the way and I'm having a hard time writing so... Mahalo to those who are still following this fic.  
><em>


	39. Chapter 39

**Thank you to those who are still reading this story and a very special thank you with a cherry on top to those few people who review it!**

* * *

><p>They've been walking for approximately fifteen minutes, and they had covered a mile when Kate slowed down. Looking at the cabinet below, her eyes then flew to the surroundings.<p>

"Kono," she said after a few seconds analyzing the field. "I've been told you can shoot long distance.. How far?"

"I've tried five hundred yards tops," Kono replied thoughtfully. "Why?"

She noticed Kate was again analyzing the environment and it gave Kono a fairly good idea why she asked that.

"Do you think you can make it five fifty?" Kate asked hopefully.

Kono considered that for a while. She understood what Kate had in mind. If they had a shooter at that distance could mean having a nice advantage over the men who were at the cabin. But, while fifty yards didn't seem to be too much in terms of number, when it comes to long distance shoots, it could be a lot.

"I suppose," Kono said after a moment thinking. She once took a clear shot at 525 yards distance and it had been easy; with a little bit of luck, she would be able to succeed at 550 yards distance.

"Good. We're about 547 to 550 yards from the cabin." Kate handed Kono her own rifle and the latter took it without hesitation.

"_'kay_, I'm gonna cover for you guys," she said firmly while glancing through the scope rings so she could adjust it for her.

"Thanks Kono," Kate replied with a short nod. She didn't consider herself to be the leader figure of that operation. If anything, she didn't believe there was such thing right now. Steve was the leader; he would always be. Right now, they were more like a group of people functioning together with one goal only — bring Steve back, safe and sound.

"You don't need to thank me," Kono said reassuringly before waving them off. They were wasting the time they didn't have the luxury to waste.

Instantly, Danny, Chin, Connor and Kate continued their way down, stealthy but quickly. They had opened about three yards of distance from Kono when they heard her voice coming through the com.

_"Cahill, besides you, Steve and Ashcroft, can you tell me how many people are there?"_

Cahill's response didn't come immediately and the group of four kept going, not slowing down one bit.

_"So,"_ Cahill said finally after a moment. His breathing was kind of ragged, like he had been beaten. _"Three men? Don't you think that's a little lousy? Can't you handle_—_"_

There was this loud noise and, judging by the grunt that was definitely from Cahill, they could only imagine that the Agent's witty comment made him ear a bruise. Then, they heard someone else's voice. Some they didn't recognize.

_"You think you're funny, huh?" _Given the Australian accent, it was probably one of Brian's men. He should be quite close to Cahill because they could hear him loud and clear. _"I wonder how long it will last.. But, hey! I have the answer _—_ not much."_

Kate shut her eyes closed for a brief second. The way he said those last words, it made Kate feel that her bones were cold. They were frigid and very threatening, and she knew enough about threats to know that this man wasn't joking.

She felt a little bit of fear start to run through her veins and, even though she knew she couldn't give in to that feeling, it was inevitable. That awful sensation started to spread through her body instantly, like venom.

_"Damn you, Christopher!" _Kate didn't voice those thoughts. Sure it was Cahill who was pushing his luck but, just because it wasn't Steve, it didn't mean she was okay with that. When she promised herself she wouldn't lose anyone, it literally meant not even one person from her side. Not even Cahill.

Kate didn't notice she stopped walking until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey." The soft voice belonged to Danny. When she opened her eyes, she found the oceanic blue eyes that belonged to the detective from New Jersey. "We can handle this."

"I know.." Even though Kate tried to sound sure and certain of her words, inwardly she felt like she had failed epic proportions. But, whether Danny noticed that or not, he didn't show.

"Okay. Let's keep going then, shall we?"

Kate nodded and resumed her steps, now walking behind Connor. He glanced at the woman behind him over her shoulder and she just assented with a short move of her head. Kate was fairly certain he was about to ask if everything was alright and, honestly, if she heard that stupid question just once, she would punch something — or someone.

**xxx**

Steve, Cahill and Fabian Ashcroft were still handcuffed; the cuffs were unnecessarily tight that their wrists should definitely have bruises and cuts by now, but that was the least of Steve's preoccupations — his mind was busy enough trying to come up with a plan to get them all out of that situation.

They've been taken to a small cabin, nicely hidden in the middle of the thick forest. He glanced through the single window and couldn't see the black Escalade outside — probably they have stashed it under a bunch of trees and covered it to go unnoticed. Not that many people would look for it where it was; actually, no one would be able to track the vehicle because the men were smart enough to disable the device.

He heard it when Kono asked about how many people were there and Steve knew they were close; question was, how close.

Steve was torn up; he wished they were close enough, but, at the same time, he wished they weren't there. Actually, he wished somoene wasn't there. Those men were way too well e quipped and then there was Kate. His thoughts constantly flickered to Kate. He was slightly scared with how she'd react, what would she do because Steve was fairly certain she wouldn't compartmentalize, not this time. Not that any of them would but, for Kate, he knew she was taking it personal. And for her, he needed to get out of that; he made a promise and he very much intended to keep it.

.

Of all three hostages, the one who was in worst shape was Christopher Cahill. Not that he cared about that — he really didn't give a shitt. He knew that Steve's team was near and he would do whatever he had to help, even if that means getting the beating of the century.

But he hadn't heard anything ever since Kono asked him about the number of people in the cabin. And when the doors went open and they saw two men walking inside, it made him wonder if there were more people guarding the outside and if they got everyone else.

Cahill recognized the last man who arrived and he could feel his breathing pattern becoming irregular — anger was starting to grow inside him. He quickly turned to look at Steve and, judging by the way his body tensed and stiffened and his eyes turned deep and not even one bit friendly, showed Cahill that he had recognized him, and he probably wondered the same thing about his team.

**xxx**

The group of four people formed by Danny, Chin, Connor and Kate tried to cover as much territory as they could, losing very little time, so they rarely said anything.

They were only a few yards from the cabin when they stopped. Connor had heard the soft roar of an engine and signaled everyone to stop moving.

"Nobody moves a muscle," he said through teeth. They could hardly be heard since they were well hidden in the middle of the thick undergrowth, but still, he kept his voice low. The only problem of their current hiding place was that it narrowed their view drastically and, even though they could see there were two men leaving a dark blue sedan, they couldn't tell if they had weapons or see their faces.

It startled Kate when Kono's voice came through the com.

_"I have a clear view on the cabin,"_ she said in a low tone.

"Hold it," Kate said abruptly, making Connor stare at her. "We have more company."

They all heard a soft and almost imperceptible sound and they knew it was Kono because she cursed quietly before adding: "Guys.. It's Brian."

**xxx**

Brian Sheppard was the second man to walk inside the cabin and, as soon as he did, they heard Kono announcing it. Apparently, the team was safe.

"Well, well, well," he said in between claps. "Look at this.." The only son of Mark Sheppard, Brian, seemed to be having the time of his life; he had a huge smile on his face and there was this crazy look in his eyes — clearly he had been waiting for that moment for a long time. "I think I'm having an early Christmas!" He didn't even bother keeping his voice low; he was thrilled. "The only son of the filthy bastard who got my father killed and the guy who was supposed to be his backup. This has to be the best day of my life!"

There was a mix of rage and perkiness, loath and excitement, it all mixed up in his voice and body language. Steve instantly recognized that as something awful — Brian Sheppard was the picture of the worst kind of enemy you'd like to face. He clearly had no scruples, no boundaries, no rules, no nothing. He was there with one purpose only: revenge. He had nothing to lose.

"_And_ we have a special guest," he said walking towards Steve. The Five-0 leader saw how deep, dark and vile they were. "I've heard about you, Commander McGarrett. Your team killed many of my men."

"Yeah? That's what they told you?" Steve's voice was surprisingly calm. "They lied to you," he said casually and Brian arched an eyebrow as if he was asking _"Really? How so?"_.

"It wasn't my team. I mean, not just my team.. I did that too."

Steve watched as rage started to grow bigger and bigger inside Brian, his eyes narrowed and the next thing Steve was the inner part of his eyelids when Brian's fist hit his jaw.

The only reasonn he managed to hit Steve was because he was hadcuffed and tied to a goddamn chair. If they were on the same level, Brian would be having his ass kicked and would be facing the ground right now.

Steve felt the distinct taste of blood in his mouth and he spit on the floor; a small amount of the red liquid was now coloring the cement floor. Brian's punch opened a cut inside Steve's mouth.

"You think you're unstoppable, don't you? Just because you were a SEAL? That means nothing to me," Brian whispered slowly; his face only inches away front of Steve. "And, just so you know... Thanks to your attitude, your team is gonna die. When I'm done here, I'll go after each and every single one of your team. And they'll suffer for your insolence."

Steve locked his eyes on Brian's. There were no signs of lies in his words. Those were not empty threats.

"You touch them, you die. Do you hear me? I'm gonna end you."

Brian burst into laughter as he took a couple of steps away from Steve. His men followed his lead and some laughed as well but with less enthusiasm.

"Oh, that was nice," he panted, trying to breathe properly. "Really nice.. I heard a lot of things about you, but I didn't think you were a comedian, McGarrett.."

Steve never eased the glower.

"I'm not," he growled angrily.

"He's not," Brian mocked as he turned to face his men but quickly turning his attention at Steve. "See, _Steven_.. You're like a chained dog. You bark, but you won't bite."

"Wow. Impressive.. you heard that from a five years old?"

Steve smirked defiantly and, this time, Brian just faked a laugh.

"Let's see who's gonna laugh last," he whispered at Steve as his right hand traveled to his back.

Cahill had been witnessing that much unexpected conversation and he held his breath unconsciously when he saw what Brian was reaching for — a silver pistol.

"What are you doing with that?" Cahill asked bluntly. The pistol had something engraved on the slide; he didn't need to get closer or read it to know it says "_DULCE BELLUM INEXPERTIS_", Latin for "war is sweet to the inexperienced".

_"What a sick irony"_, Cahill thought to himself when he remembered the words. He knew all that because he had seen that gun many times before, and it was the owner of it that told him the meaning of the phrase; he said "_I've shot people. But it always feels the same. I don't like it, but I'm not naive. I know that it's necessary sometimes. To those who had been through it, any kind of armed conflict is hell; there are gains but, what about the losses? I guess it is as it says here — war is sweet to the __**inexperienced**__.._". It was a friend of his who had uttered those words. A man who died in combat. The handgun that Brian Sheppard was holding, it belonged to his father.

"This?" Brian spoke as he glanced at the weapon he was holding, bringing Cahill back from his flashback.

"It's not yours. What **the hell** are you doing with it?" Cahill's words were full with venom. Brian's arrogance was unnerving and he so wanted to wipe that look of his face using the very same chair he was sitting.

"Family inheritance," Brian answered clearly amused. It was like a circus and Brian Sheppard was the ringleader. "It's a bit old but I think.. I think it still works." He started pacing while looking at the gun but without actually doing anything, until he stopped. "You know what, let's make a little test."

No one had time to say a thing and then Brian fired.

**xxx**

When she heard Kono saying that Brian Sheppard was there, Kate hesitated for a moment.

Even though she knew it was inevitable, she had hopes to face him only later, preferably when Steve, Cahill and Fabian weren't easy prey.

It was a bittersweet reality the one she was facing; this entire time her animosity towards the Australian criminals had been feed based on the belief that they were back to make her life hell when, in fact, the person behind all this shit wasn't even part of the organization. Not that she now sympathize with the Organized Crime but, she realized she had been played by Brian — and she hated being played.

Kate's wish was to barge inside that cabin; Steve was there, the driver who took him from her was there, Brian was there. She wanted nothing more than just walk in there and get even, but she couldn't. She couldn't risk the lives of those who were held prisoner inside and, also, Steve's team philosophy was overpowering her previous behavior. So she waited. She was tense, but she waited. And when Connor and Chin agreed they were good to go, Kate felt her legs hurting a bit — she had spent a lot of energy and used so many muscles to just stand there and wait. It was all new to her so it was still a bit hard.

They were so close to the cabin that they could hear it when someone spoke inside. Even though the air was still, Kate felt the hair on her arms and the back of her neck prickle — she recognized that voice; it sounded a lot like Mark's. It was Brian.

_"Well, well, well.. Look at this. I think I'm having an early Christmas!"_

Kate held a fist in the air and they all stopped; following an instinct that she didn't dare question, she ducked and everyone else followed - very wise. At that very moment, someone decided to peak through the window.

Kate looked at Danny and he gave her a nod; she replied with a strangled smile.

_"The only son of the filthy bastard who got my father killed and the guy who was supposed to be his backup. This has to be the best day of my life!"_

There was a small pause in Brian's disgusting speech but no one made a move. The man, that now Kate recognized as the driver, was still looking outside the window. They were on the other side of the house so Kono didn't have him on the scope. But, even if she did, Kate wouldn't clear the shot. No. That man was hers.

_"And we have a special guest,"_ Brian's perky voice was back. It was like he was hosting a talk show and was trying to overcome the claps. _"I've heard about you, Commander McGarrett. Your team killed many of my men."_

_"Yeah? That's what they told you?"_ It was Steve who was talking now and it made a shiver go down Kate's back. He was too calm. _"They lied to you."_

"No, don't be stupid.." Danny whispered like he was foreseen what was to come. Kate looked at him curiously at the same time that Steve spoke again.

_"It wasn't my team. I mean, not just my team.. I did that too."_

And then Kate understood. They hadn't eyes inside but the grunt that filled the silence was more than enough for everyone to know what happened. Kate mentally cursed Brian Sheppard. That moron would be in so much trouble when she put her hands on him..

_"You think you're unstoppable, don't you? Just because you were a SEAL? That means nothing to me.. And, just so you know... Thanks to your attitude, your team is gonna die. When I'm done here, I'll go after each and every single one of your team. And they'll suffer for your insolence."_

Kate was rigid, looking straight ahead but she saw, with the corner of her eye that Danny and Chin exchanged a glance. She didn't dare looking at them, afraid they might see what she was trying so hard to suppress. That he'd find, if not them, her, so she'll teach him some valuable lessons such as to have some respect and fear.

_"You touch them, you die. Do you hear me? I'm gonna end you."_

Brian's vile laugh that followed Steve's words echoed in Kate's ear and she didn't actually listen to what he said next. She was shutting it all out as she took some careful steps towards the house. The man had long left the window but they were focused on the conversation that they missed it. Lucky enough, it didn't interfere on their approach.

Kate and Danny were now with their backs pressed against the cabin's back wall while Chin and Connor had went separate ways to make sure that there wasn't no one around.

"Danny and I are in position," Kate whispered when Chin and Connor were out of sight.

_"Roger,"_ Kono said simply.

Chin and Connor had just cleared the surroundings and assumed their position. The house was a rectangle, so Kono would cover the front, Danny and Kate would stay with the back and Chin and Connor would guard the flank — with that, they'd have a sniper to handle the only door, Danny and Kate had two windows and Chin and Connor cover both.

Kate was just going through their last minute plan when Cahill's voice made her focus on what was happening on the inside.

_"It's not yours,"_ he said with vehemence. _"What __**the hell**__ are you doing with it?"_

_"Family inheritance."_ Kate glanced at Danny and they both frowned. What sort of inheritance would make Cahill react so strongly? _"It's a bit old but I think.. I think it still works."_ They were still looking to one another when suddenly, something clicked — literally and metaphorically. _"You know what, let's make a little test."_

"Gun!" Kate and Danny spoke at the same time, their voices choked with terror. They weren't heard because their scared statement was muffled by the loud noise of a gun being fired on the inside.

They still had that loud noise echoing in their ears but Danny and Kate managed to get over it and think damn fast. That second that followed the shot stretched into what seemed to be an eternity and they both silently agreed they couldn't wait any longer.

Danny pulled the only gas bomb he was carrying. He no idea why he took that from Kate's trunk, but he was immensely glad he did so.

In the mean time, Kate brought her mic close to her mouth and spoke to Kono.

"Please, tell me you have a clear shot on someone."

_"Only one,"_ she answered a bit shaken and Kate knew she was still processing the gunshot they heard.

"Take it. Now."

Danny had just heard the little "click" coming from the rifle when Kate looked at him; they nodded, just a small and very reassuring gesture, showing they were on the same page, and then she spoke on the microphone again, this time, letting everyone know what the next move would be.

"We're going in."

. . .

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><p><em>Like it? Hate it? Don't give a shit? Feel encouraged to leave your opinion in a review :)<br>_


	40. Chapter 40

**Aloha everyone!**

**Firstly, my apologies it took me forever to update it; if you visited my bio page then you know I'm on vacation and it's kind of hard for me to update it faster. Once again, I am sorry.**

**Secondy, I'd like to thank all of my faithful readers. You guys re the best thing ever!**

**Here's another chapter and I sure hope it's not a huge disappointment! Enjoy :) **

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><p><em>Time is relative. It passes differently to each and every one of us.<em>

_When you're among friends, like at a pleasant party, having fun, one hour feels like one minute; but, when you're waiting, expecting something important, quite anxious about what's to come the same hour seem to stretch into days, months, years maybe._

_The relativity of time can be unnerving and to Kate, it was dreadful. It meant her nightmare had become longer..._

—

After Kono pulled the trigger, the expectation that took over Kate, Danny, Chin and Connor mainly was hardly bearable and it seemed to endure more than just a couple of seconds. Way more.

At first, nothing happened; Kate and Danny felt as if their bodies were about to merge with the wall on which they were firmly pressed against while waiting. They had expected some sort of mass panic but they had to face an unusual quietness that only was shaken by the aftershock about two seconds later.

Those two seconds had just made into the worst moments Kate had ever faced in her life. She hated where her mind tossed her, but, in all honesty, what she was going through right now could only be compared to when she acknowledged the death of her parents, but with a difference: back then, she knew what had happened while now, right now she was standing in the dark. She didn't know if or who anyone was shot, hurt of — God forbid — dead. No need to say that by "anyone" she meant Steve, Cahill and Fairbanks (the rest, she could care less).

After those two seconds that felt like two hours, things started to happen, and the pace was fast. Very fast.

Danny barely heard it when a body dropped on the floor with a thud. Someone had just roared in pain on the inside, but the shouts from what seemed to be three different men were just as loud.

Kate didn't reckon any of the voices, not the man who screamed after being shot or the men who were starting to realize they weren't alone. The blood pounding on her ear turned her deaf to everything, even Danny. She only knew when to act because her eyes were glued on him. She watched quietly as he broke the glass with the handle of his gun and tossed the gas bomb inside of the cabin.

"Cover your nose and mouth." Kate was pretty sure he had said it out loud but she never heard a word; she had to read his lips to make sense out of what he was saying.

She nodded at his command and did her best to do as he was telling him and cover her nose and mouth with the collar of her dress shirt. Peaking on the inside, she saw it when the four men that were still standing started coughing and looking at the window she was standing. Four men would be a fair fight.

One of them raised his shotgun and was trying to aim at Kate when she heard a loud noise on her left and she saw Danny, pointing his gun at the place where once the man who was trying to take her down was standing — he was now on the floor; Danny had shot him.

"Thank you," she muttered shortly.

"Don't mention it," he replied with a nervous smile.

At that very same moment, someone kicked the front door open and it fell to pieces, revealing Chin and Connor at the entrance. Suddenly, two men turned their attention to that brand new addition, giving Kate and Danny enough time to break the remains of the glass and jump inside the room.

Kate went first; she had to lower her rifle for a moment and, just when she was positioning it again, she felt a very strong impact that knocked her to the ground.

"KATE!"

Again, she barely heard it when Danny, this time followed by Steve, shouted at the top of their lungs. She had fallen not so gracefully on the floor and landed on her right arm; her right hand that wasn't at its finest before was now twisted in a very unnatural way. Pain shot through her body coming from her chest and hand, but the adrenaline that was running through her veins masked it.

"KATE!" She never saw it, but it was the very same man that smirked at her from behind the steering wheel of the Escalade that had shot her. "YOU SON OF A BITCH I'LL KILL YOU!" Steve growled at the man who was standing right next to him, struggling to stand, to leave that stupid chair but not succeeding - there were cuffs on his ankles as well. "DO YOU HEAR ME? I'M GONNA RIP OFF YOUR HEAD! KATE!"

Danny had taken a couple of steps back to check on Kate, keeping his gun at the ready the entire time. Before he could kneel down, he heard a grunt and she moved slowly next to him.

"Kate?"

"I'm fine, Dan," she replied roughly as she shook her hair away from her face. She loved the creator of those vests. "I'm alright."

She helped herself up with her left hand and rifle and her eyes finally met the man that just shot at her. The green eyes, the scar on the left eyebrow, the crooked nose and dark hair — it was him. And he was again smirking.

"Didn't think I'd kill you like that, doll," he said with his annoyingly perky voice that made Kate just want to shoot him between the eyes.

Kate was now up again and had him in the end of her rifle, his attitude and the rage that she felt inside were just adding to her need to inflict pain, to make him suffer, she wanted nothing more than to end him, right there — bad news was, Steve was standing in the middle and she feared that, if she pulled the trigger, he'd do the same and shot Steve.

"Put the gun down," she commanded forcefully while taking a step forward. "Put it down now and I promise I'll kill you very quickly."

The man let out a maniac laugh as he pushed his gun closer to Steve's temple. "That's not how you negotiate," he said when he locked his eyes on Kate.

"This is not a negotiation," she said taking one more step forward. Danny had taken a few steps to the left and was trying to corner the man. "Put. It. Down."

"Take one more step and the next time you'll see your boyfriend again will be at his funeral," he said threatening and Kate stopped. She was immobile like a statue.

"That's it," he smiled at her. "Nice gir—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kate pulled the trigger and a bullet of her rifle passed inches from Steve, making a not so small hole in the man's chest. His mistake was to move his shotgun an inch away from Steve.

Danny ran towards Steve and quickly released his partner's hands and legs as Kate ran to kick the shotgun away from the man's reach.

"You okay?" Danny asked bluntly as he tossed the cuffs away and helped Steve up.

"I am now," Steve said panting, offering Danny a smile that didn't show exactly happiness.

He then looked at where he had last seen Kate but, surprisingly enough, she wasn't looking back at him. Instead, she was facing the man she had just shot.

"You see this hole?" she said poking it. "The shallow breathing? The excruciating pain? It means you're dying. Slowly and painfully. You'll bleed to death and you'll die. Your blood will flow to your lung through this hole and you'll gasp for air and it'll hurt like a thousand knives cutting your chest." Kate locked her eyes on his as he panted, his eyes weren't as threatening anymore and he didn't seem as badass as he was seconds ago. "Have a horrible death, scumbag."

The man tried to get his hands on Kate but she kicked it, and when he tried to stand, she just shot his knee and walked away. She ignored the man swearing at her, Steve who was standing next to her and Danny who was checking on Fabian. She couldn't lose the focus and, even though she was dying to hold Steve, their priority was still the case.

Fabian Ashcroft seemed to be okay, whole at least. He wasn't the one to be shot, neither was Steve. Now she needed to check Cahill. She had just turned to the third chair, the last to the right, when his voice filled the small cabin.

"DON'T SHOOT!" Cahill shouted and everyone stopped. Brian had him.

After taking the other man that no one had ever seen before, Chin and Connor had Brian in the end of their guns; much like the idiot who tried to use Steve as a human shield, Brian had Cahill in a very uncomfortable position — with a gun pointed straight to his head and a bleeding shoulder. They all were ready to take the shot but Cahill wasn't talking to Brian when he said to do not shoot; he was talking to everyone else, he didn't want Brian dead.

"Don't shoot," he said in a much lower tone this time and Chin and Connor lowered their weapons just a bit. Brian didn't look like he would shoot either but he held his gun exactly where it was.

Kate had no idea why Brian didn't go for Fabian instead of Christopher, after all, he was the reason why he went through so much trouble up until now. But maybe, maybe he was more upset with the one who was supposed to keep his father alive rather than the spoiled kid of an abuser. He could go after Fabian practically anytime; he couldn't do the same with an Interpol Agent.

"What the hell is he doing? He already has a bullet hole in his shoulder?" Danny hissed through teeth from somewhere behind Kate. She heard it, didn't register. The gun pointed to Cahill's face along with the blood that was flowing out of body were speaking volumes inside her head._ I won't lose anyone. Not anyone._

"Thinking about his cover," Steve said as he reached for his 9mm that the big guy with the broken nose took from him when he cuffed his ankles. "He still needs to take Fairbanks down.."

"Well, if he dies he won't be able to do anything else," Danny retorted and Steve nodded shyly in agreement.

"Put the gun down, Brian," Steve demanded, raising his gun and aiming at him. Unlike the other men, Brian wasn't wearing any protection so he was way more vulnerable.

Brian laughed in a way that they could only describe to be a nervous laugh; it stopped after three seconds as he cocked his gun. "Nice try. Now you put it down or I'll paint these walls with brain matter. ALL OF YOU!"

"Alright! Alright..." Steve said raising his hands, showing he wouldn't shoot. Very much against their will, Chin and Danny followed Steve's lead and lowered their guns but, unlike their him, they were still holding onto their weapons. Reluctantly, Connor and Kate did the same. "Why don't you lower your gun so we can talk? Huh?"

"Are you serious? _You _are the good cop?" Brian mocked.

Truth was, Steve wanted to shot the guy, but he was considering the Interpol investigation and, maybe, that guy could help. That was one hell of a maybe but still.

"Let him go," Connor said not so calm. He was fed up with that annoying child. "Now."

Brian laughed maniacally again. "Or what? You'll shot me like my men shot your partner? You don't want me dead," he said defiantly. "Everyone knows the Interpol is after Richard Fairbanks. I'm an important source of information."

"Wrong." Kate interposed for the first time. "You're just **one** source of information. There are many other ways to get it done. **Without you**."

Brian suddenly focused his attention on the woman with porcelain pale skin. "You must be the FBI Agent I've heard of. Taylor, right?"

Kate stared blankly. "Wow. You know my name. Am I supposed to feel intimidated?"

Brian just ignored Kate's comment. "I've been asking myself... Why the FBI is involved anyways? It's none of your business."

"It's personal to me," Kate said easing the grip on her gun and lowering it slowly. Even though she didn't have a gun pointed straight at him anymore, it didn't mean she was less alert. If anything, now she was even more serious and not up for any jokes. "Why are you doing this?" she asked letting go of her weapon. With the corner of her eye, she saw Steve eyeing her.

"It's personal to me."

"Christopher didn't kill your father."

Hearing about his father made Brian push the gun against Cahill's head with strength. His hand was slightly shaking and for a second, Kate felt the world had stopped as she waited for the gunshot. It never happened. "HE WAS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HIM AND HE DIDN'T! HE SHOULD BE DEAD, NOT MY DAD!"

"Your sense of justice or whatever it is that you think you're doing is messed up, you do realize that, don't you?" Kate took a tiny step forward. "You joined the very same Criminal Organization that was the responsible for your father's death an—"

"JONATHAN ASHCROFT WAS THE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY FATHER'S DEATH!" Brian was still shouting. Instead of astonishment, Kate stared at him curiously. "He and his sick perversion. If he wasn't the garbage of society he was, my dad wouldn't have to be in Australia in the first place. He wouldn't have to protect this trash's father. He would never get shot and he'd still be alive."

The Five-0s, along with Connor were watching to see how Kate would handle that situation. Sure they were slightly worried but none of them had more knowledge of everything to make Brian talk than Kate.

She seemed to think about that for a second and Brian eased a little. "Makes sense," she said with a short nod and Brian raised his head higher. Kate paced from side to side a bit, not approaching Brian or his gun that was dangerously close to Cahill's head. At least his hands weren't shaking anymore. "Except for the fact that there is a flaw in your line of thinking.." When she stopped, Kate locked her eyes on Brian's. "It was his job, and he accepted it."

"He didn't have a choice."

"Yes, he did. He could have chosen anything in the world, but he chose the law enforcement. He chose his life and I assure you, he was perfectly aware of the risks and now you're doing the exact same thing that your father condemned.."

"You know nothing about my father!"

Brian had finally pointed his gun somewhere different than Cahill's head. Of course he was aiming it at Kate but she didn't mind. In less than seconds, Chin and Cahill approached Brian, disarmed him and had him handcuffed.

Kate and Steve ran towards Cahill and, while Steve released his ankles, Kate worked on his wrists. Much like Steve, Cahill's wrists were bruised, reddened and bleeding.

"You're stupid," Kate said when she set his hands free.

"I knew you'd deal with it brilliantly," he replied with what seemed to be a smile. There was a cut in his lower lip that was swollen and bleeding - he looked awful, but still very handsome.

"I wasn't so sure of that," she admitted eerily. "For a moment, I thought he'd open a hole in the middle of your head."

"I have faith in you, Kate."

Kate avoided Cahill's eyes. At that moment, she felt bad for treating him so badly. She blushed and, because of that, she also avoided Steve's eyes.

"Like I said, stupid," she replied, still looking anywhere but the two men.

Kate stood up in time to see Chin and Connor dragging a very out-of-his-mind Brian Sheppard.

"Chin, hold on!" She said and Chin looked at her. "Hold it."

The Asian man stopped and so did Connor while Kate approached the annoying guy that reminded her so much of Mark.

"Just so you know, I know a lot about your father. Probably way more than you do, you ungrateful bastard." Kate saw in Brian's eyes he was puzzled. "I was in Australia with your father. The Organized Crime murdered one of the finest men I've ever worked with."

"You're lying."

"Not that you're worth any explanation but no. I am not lying. I was there," she said confidently and then added: "I was assigned to Australia to coordinate the mission and Mark Sheppard's death came was devastating to each and every one that was there. And trust me when I say, your father must be revolving in his grave right now. His son, becoming allies with the enemy. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Brian suddenly was void of reaction, emotion, words, everything. He didn't do anything but stand there, his eyes locked on Kate's, and when Connor pulled him outside the cabin, he still didn't show any reaction and allowed them to drag him out and onto the trail that would lead them back to where they had parked the cars.

.

They had been walking for about five minutes through the thick forest; words filled the silence, except for one voice — Kate's.

Of all people, she was the only one that was dead silent since they walked out of the wood cabin. Even Brian said a few words that were followed by a vehement "shut up" from practically everyone.

Christopher had refused Kate's and Steve's offer to call a Medevac and was walking with some difficulty among them. Because of that, he was the one walking by Kate's side, at the end of the line.

"I'm sorry," he said softly as they opened a distance of a couple of yards from everyone else.

Kate, who had been looking at the ground, raised her eyes to find Cahill's blue orbs glued on her. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat.

"What for?" she asked casually, trying to hide all the pain she was feeling in her hand and the fear and anxiety she felt when she heard the gunshot. It had brought back some painful memories that she'd been trying so hard to erase.

"You know what for," he said, keeping his tone always soft. "I'm sorry I brought your worst nightmare back."

Kate's eyes shifted back to the ground as she tried to chuckle but failed; it sounded like she was choking.

"It's not your fault," she whispered in such a low tone than he had to take a step closer to her so he could hear.

"Nonetheless.. I'm sorry."

Kate looked at him once again and she understood why she felt nervous when she found his piercing blue eyes staring at her. Because all the hate and animosity she felt towards that man throughout all these years was wrong. It was unfair.

"No. **I**'m sorry," she said biting her lower lip.

Kate hated Christopher because, once, she liked him a lot and she felt like he wasn't trustworthy because he had left Mark. But she was wrong. And she had to see him again, and to almost lose him for Kate to realize how unfair she had been with Cahill. It was necessary a direct confront with Sheppard's son for her to really see that. Not that she blamed Cahill for Mark's death — she didn't — but she was afraid that he'd let her down. She never saw that she was the one who always let people down.

Kate feared so much being let down, being disappointed that, without noticing, she turned into the kind of people she hated, and it only became evident when she faced Brian.

Roughly speaking, Kate was Brian, and that's why she was awful quiet. The acknowledgement of such thing was a blow.

"I'm sorry for my childish behavior all these years," she continued after a few seconds of silence. "You were right. I don't let people in. I didn't let you nowhere close and I'm sorry that, as a friend, I let you down.."

"Kate," Cahill tried to say something but she shook her head negatively and he stopped. She needed to talk.

"I was so terrified that, if I allowed someone, anyone in, they'd eventually left. And, with you, it was no different. I didn't gave you the opportunity to prove me wrong, I just did what I always did and walked away, and that was really wrong. My fear turned me into the type of person I dislike, and I'd like to apologize. I was mean to you and you didn't deserve it. Even now, when I asked for your help and you said you'd help me, I kept you at distant and treated you badly.. I am so terribly sorry, Chris."

Cahill listened to Kate's emotional speech quietly. By the time she finished, he was astonished. There was a lump in his throat and he couldn't say anything. He tried, but failed. So, he put an arm around Kate's shoulder and squeezed it softly.

.

Steve glanced at the two figures walking a few steps behind the large group. Kate and Cahill. He wanted to slow his pace down and get closer to them but something inside him was telling him not to.

Out of all people, Kate and Christopher — not considering Brian — were the ones with a deeper involvement with the case and they had some sort of baggage that was probably heavier at the moment. Or maybe not, but they had unfinished business, so, Steve tried to swallow the bitterness he tasted when he saw Cahill and Kate walking side by side and tried to focus on the track. But it proved to be a Herculean task when he saw, with the corner of his eye, Cahill's arms wrapped around Kate's shoulder.

.

"We wouldn't have last, would we?" Cahill asked about three minutes later. He had let go of Kate so he could hold his injured shoulder.

"Probably not," Kate answered after a couple of seconds.

"Probably not," he repeated her words simply. He knew they wouldn't. "You love him."

It wasn't a question. Cahill knew it and Kate knew it. He didn't even need to see the minuscule nod she gave.

"Can we still be friends?" he asked slightly doubtful. Not because he couldn't stand Steve and Kate together. He could. His doubts were because he wasn't sure if Kate was willing to work on a friendship that brought her so much pain once. He wanted her to be happy, and he'd accept it if she didn't have a place in her life for him.

Kate eyed Cahill when he asked that. "Are you serious?" she asked blankly. She didn't believe what she was hearing.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "Forget it. I just thou—"

Kate punched Cahill softly when he tried to explain himself. "Of course we can be friends, you moron."

The two of them exchanged a look and smiled at each other. So much happened and a very long time passed, but they both waited so much for that day. The past was in the past, they had settled their differences and had regained a friend.

.

After walking the entire way back to where the cars were, Steve helped Chin and Connor to stash Brian on the back of the Avalanche while Danny and Kono put the heavy weapons back in the trunk. Seconds later, Cahill and Kate joined them.

Steve noticed the friendly mood that surrounded them both and felt a bit of pain that he held on the inside. It seemed that they had worked on their issues and were quite thrilled about it. He didn't forget that Cahill had a thing for Kate — maybe she had it too — and that's what was bothering him.

"Hey, how's the arm?" he asked, trying to sound casual while talking to Cahill. The Interpol Agent and Steve had put an end to their differences.

"It'll be okay," Cahill replied simply. "I just need some stitches and it'll be brand new."

Steve nodded and, before he could stop it, he looked at Kate. Their eyes met and she held the eye contact. Steve was so mesmerized with what he was seeing in her grey eyes that he couldn't look elsewhere. He saw conflict, a little bit of pain, some fear but, overall, he saw relief. He saw vulnerability. He saw something that made him feel warm on the inside but, at the same time, made him shiver. He didn't know if it was directed at him. Steve would be disappointed if it wasn't. Ultimately, he saw tears. Her eyes were wet and tears were threatening to fall, but she was controlling it beautifully.

"Kate?" He took a step forward without noticing. "Are you o—"

Steve never finished his question, and Kate never answered whether she was okay or not. She closed the space between them with two long steps, locked her arms around his neck and buried her face on his shoulder. Without hesitating, Steve slid his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, their bodies pressed together with such force that it was a miracle they didn't become one. He breathed deeply and her scent numbed his senses.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled after a couple of seconds. Kate's presence all over him was the best thing in the world. "Sorry you had to go through this again.."

"I was so scared," she whispered weakly against his skin. Steve's warmth was what she'd been waiting to feel ever since she saw him being pushed into the Escalade that was still in the middle of the forest reserve, along with some dead bodies.

"I am so sorry," Steve said as he held the back of her head.

Kate pulled apart a little bit and looked into Steve's eyes. They were incredibly blue and soft.

"Me too," she whispered shortly before she cupped his face with her both hands and sealed his lips with hers, tasting a little bit of blood when she did it from the cut in his lower lip.

"I should be abducted more," Steve said happily when Kate broke the kiss and brushed his cheek with her thumb.

"Don't even think about it," she said softly while leaning to place a soft kiss on his lips before walking back to her car with Steve.

**xxx**

About five minutes later, they were all driving back to the Five-0 headquarters.

The first car was Danny's. The blonde detective was driving his Camaro, Kono as shotgun and, surprise, surprise, Cahill was on the back seat.

The second was Connor's Chevy Avalanche. He was taking Chin and Brian. The latter was handcuffed on the back.

The third and last car was Kate's. She was driving her Aston Martin with Steve by her side.

Thirty minutes later, they were parking their cars next to the building, certain that they had accomplished their goal nicely.

Connor killed the engine of his truck beside Danny's Camaro and Kate parked her Aston Martin one spot away from Connor's truck, by Chin's motorcycle. Danny and Connor's cars were facing the wall while Kate was the only one to park with the front of her car turned to the open space.

They were back to the Five-0 headquarters so she had ditched the heavy Kevlar vest she'd been wearing the whole time. Steve did the same.

She had just stepped out of her car and had turned to walk to the building when she heard a loud noise and something hit her right in the chest.

Kate never heard it when Steve called out her name and, suddenly, she started to see everything happening in slow motion while Steve saw time passing by so fast that he felt a little bit lightheaded.

—

_Like I said, time is relative. It passes differently to each and every one of us... The relativity of time can be unnerving. To Steve, it was hell. He was facing just the beginning of his worst nightmare. And it would be a damn long one._

. . .


	41. Chapter 41

**Aloha sailors :)**

**I'd like to thank those who are still reading this story; I really appreciate everyone who's still with me.**

**New chapter. More drama. The usual. Hope you enjoy!**

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><p>When Connor pulled Brian out of his car, he didn't notice the handcuffs were loosened.<p>

Brian Sheppard had a small paper clip in his back pocket and, while they headed back to the headquarters, he used it to undo the cuffs and wear it in a way that he could easily free his hands.

When he got out of the car, Brian waited until Kate did the same so he could yank the Beretta from Connor's holster. The weapon was safety held by its security belt so he would only have one chance to do so and he did not intend to fail.

That woman had admitted that she was the one to coordinate their movements and her err cost the life of his father. Brian didn't intend to kill Agent Taylor; instead, he planned on taking the one she cared about the most and, according to what he had seen, it was Steve McGarrett. If only he knew it back then..

But his target changed when he saw that the FBI Agent was the one standing in front of him, with no cars or objects to block his view. He had one chance and he had the perfect shot. So, when Connor pulled him once again, he put his plan in action. With one smooth movement, he had his both hands free; with a strong pull, he took Connor's 9mm. from its holster, aimed and pulled the trigger.

.

Steve barely had time to leave the car when he saw the fuss next to the Avalanche.

The first thing that caught his attention was Connor's shout. Steve didn't make sense of the words because, when he followed the Interpol Agent's eyes, he noticed what was to come and felt the blood freezing in his veins. There was Brian. Without handcuffs. With a gun in his hands. Aiming it at Kate. And she wasn't wearing any protection.

"KATE!"

He shouted — his voice was a hoarse, thick with fear — but it was muffled by the sound of the gun being fired.

Instinctively, Steve reached his SIG-Sauer, pointed it to Brian and fired it. Two times in a row. Steve was not exactly caring about the man's integrity — he had shot a Federal Agent, for Christ's sake!

He wasn't the only one to react like that; Connor did the same and everyone else was with their guns ready but they didn't engage. Brian fell to the ground with Steve and Connor's bullets.

If he was dead or alive, Steve didn't bother to find out. His priority was the woman that was weakly leaning against the door of her own car.

"Kate!" He said in a hurry when he ran around the front of her car and got to her.

"Steve.."

Her voice wasn't louder than a whisper and, when it reached his ear and he saw how she was, Steve felt his heart dropping.

Her once olive green, long sleeved dress shirt was soaked in blood, just like her right hand that she was trying to apply pressure on her abdomen.

"No. Nonono.." It wasn't ethical, but Steve wished Brian was dead. And, if he wasn't, he'd make him pay.

Kate took a deep breath and her body trembled a little bit. Steve saw it and he could only wonder how badly she was struggling to stand. Not wanting her to waste any energy, he helped Kate to sit.

"I got you, babe," he whispered, his voice choked with fear. "I got you.."

Steve had just pulled his phone out of his pocket to call 911 when a small hand took it from him.

"Danny, call—"

"911," he finished his sentence. "Way ahead you. They're on their way."

Danny looked down at Kate and Steve. The first one seemed to be in bad shape, but she was struggling not to let it show; the latter was visibly affected by the looks of Kate.

.

Kate noticed the worried eyes of Danny and Steve and, leaning against the rear wheel of her car, she smiled at them. The pain that was taking over her whole body was almost unbearable, but she didn't let it show, she wouldn't let it take over.

"You two.. look awful." Her voice failed once, when she tried to move just a little. Both Danny and Steve eyed her. "Hey, I'm fine," she said weakly but neither one of them registered her statement.

"Stop talking," Steve said vehemently but keeping the softness in his voice. He had taken Kate's hand out of his way so now he was the one applying pressure on Kate's abdomen, but he still felt the blood leaving her body. "Please. You need to save your energy."

"How.. How's Brian?" Kate asked Danny, ignoring Steve's orders and making him roll his eyes.

"I don't know." That was Danny's answer but Kate knew he was hiding something. Her eyes scanned the surroundings and she saw a little agglomeration of people around what should be a body on the floor. Kate could only see the legs but she knew it was Brian.

For a moment, she thought he was dead, but his feet moved and she knew why Danny's answer was that evasive. Brian should be alive but barely, and he didn't want to add any tension to anyone.

Kate just nodded and she felt Steve putting more pressure to the bullet hole she had close to her left ribs.

"Goddammit, Kate, will you stop moving?"

Kate looked at Steve. He was kneeling next to her and his eyes were focused on his both hands. She could read his lips mumbling something along the lines of _'where the hell is the ambulance?'_

"Steve," she called him softly but he didn't look at her. He was still concentrated on keeping the blood inside her body. Kate raised her left hand and, brushing it on her pants — a very lousy attempt to get rid of the blood that was covering her both hands — she reached for his cheek, finally getting his attention.

He looked up and blue eyes met watery grey. Steve knew and could clearly see that Kate was in pain — in so much pain — but tried to keep it inside and put a small smile on her face. She brushed her thumb on his cheek and Steve felt his stomach twisting. She needed help, and he didn't like not being able to do anything for her.

"Hold on, okay?" he whispered almost helpless. "Hold on, Kate.."

Steve looked around but he didn't see any signs of the ambulance Danny had called. As a matter of fact, Danny wasn't around either.

.

When Steve told Kate to stop moving, Danny decided to give them a little space.

As it was expected, Steve was quite shaken with Kate's situation and Danny didn't want to add any more stress to him or suffocate them both — Kate especially. They needed some space.

The first thing he noticed when he was a few steps away from Kate and Steve was that everyone was looking at them at some distance, but Cahill was walking towards them.

"Not now," Danny said standing in front of the tall, blonde Interpol Agent.

"But I can't leav—"

"Trust me, I know. Kate is important to all of us," Danny said indicating Chin, Kono and Connor that were standing a couple of steps back. "But the last thing she needs right now is a bunch of people around her."

Surprisingly enough, Cahill didn't argue but Danny had to drag him a couple of steps back. His mouth hang slightly open and his eyes were locked on Kate, who was still resting against her car, sitting on the ground. Just like her, Christopher Cahill couldn't lose anyone again. Especially Catherine Taylor.

.

Kate saw the lines of distress on Steve's face and it hurt her — probably more than the injury that Brian caused her. She didn't like to see him like that.

"Steve," she said again as her right hand fell on top of Steve's. He stopped looking around to look at her instead. "It's alright. Everything's gonna be fine," Kate said reassuring as she squeezed his hand softly. She wouldn't admit it, but she knew her strength was slowly decreasing.

Steve didn't say anything about that immediately. Instead, he watched Kate blinking; her eyes closed and remained like that for around five seconds until he could see the grey color — he refused to acknowledge it was getting weaker.

"I know," Steve said, more like trying to convince himself than anything else. "I know.."

Kate tried to play strong but it was getting harder and harder at every second. Leaning back, she rested her head on her car and closed her eyes for a moment.

Steve noticed the stillness and looked at Kate. It was like someone had stabbed him with a rusted knife. Kate was paler than ever. Her skin was almost transparent and the closed eyes gave her a creepy look of a dead body. Steve tried to not think about the possibility of death but it was inevitable.

"Kate," he called her softly. No answer. _Don't do this to me, woman._ "Arizona."

This time, he saw a flutter in her eyelids and her voice came out quietly.

"There's.. There's something I need to tell you," she whispered. She had opened her eyes and tilted her head softly to the side so she could have a better view of Steve's face.

Steve hated to hear those words. He wouldn't hear any goodbye speeches. She would not die. Not like this.

"Not now," he said forcefully. "Help is on its way. Save your energy."

The sound of the sirens could be heard but quite low, meaning they were a bit far yet. _Hurry._

Kate coughed and it hurt. She tasted blood in her mouth but there wasn't any — yet, she added in her head. That was so not good.

"Listen to me, Steve.."

"I SAID — not now, Kate. Please."

Kate could see traces of distress in Steve's eyes, voice and manner. It made her heart sank.

"It's important that you know it.."

"Catherine, ple—" Steve tried to cut her, but Kate didn't give up. If she died, Steve needed to know.

"It's about your family," she said forcefully, which caused her to cough a couple of times and the bleeding increased.

Steve applied more pressure, but he was now paying attention to what Kate was saying.

"Your mother." Kate had to pause to breathe. "She's alive.."

For a moment, Steve thought he had gone numb. His mother. Alive? That was not possible. She died in a car explosion. They buried her.

"Call Trish," Kate continued with a tired voice. "Ask.. ask her to give you access to my e-mail.. there'll be a file named WF.."

"Kate.."

Steve tried to tell her to stop talking for the umpteenth time but she only shook her head negatively.

"You'll find a photo.. she goes by the name of Hellen Masters." Kate paused to breathe deeply, then she looked deep in Steve's eyes. "It's her. I know it."

Steve was stunned. It was too much for him to process and everything at the same time. Kate was getting weaker and weaker by the second in his arms and he couldn't do much about it; she was telling him that his mother didn't die in the car accident. Steve saw his world turn upside down so fast and at the speed of light.

Then, a silver lining. He could hear the sirens louder now. The ambulance was just seconds away but he felt her body tremble beneath his hands.

"It's getting cold here," she said with an eerily smile.

A red flag appeared on Steve's radar. Cold was not alright. It was almost 8pm, it wasn't a cool weather and Kate was wearing a long sleeved dress shirt and a thin jacket on top of it. She should not be shivering.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as her smile fell from her face and she blinked — a damn long blink.

He noticed her breathing getting shallow and he hated it. He could see the ambulance not. It was too close. She needed to hold on.

"They're here, Kate. Be strong, just a little bit longer.. Please."

Kate's eyes opened and she saw the lights flickering around her and a few people running to where she was sitting. She tried to make sense out of what they were saying but she couldn't understand what it was. She heard Steve saying — actually, he was yelling — something to one of the paramedics but she didn't know what words were coming from his mouth.

"Ma'am, can you hear me? Ma'am?"

It was a man's voice that Kate heard but, even though it was coming from where Steve had been, it didn't sound like Steve.

"Yes," she replied weakly as she saw the paramedic by her side.

"Great. We'll help you, alright. Don't worry."

Kate wasn't worried. Actually, she was pretty calm, which she found unusual. Was she supposed to feel that calm?

Then, a thought crossed her mind and she felt her heart rate increase. Jacob.

.

Steve had been pushed slightly aside by the paramedic named Vincent and he was giving them the information about Kate and what happened when he heard the beeping coming from the monitor they had attached to Kate go crazy. He instantly stopped talking and tried to get to her.

The second paramedic, Gabriel, who had taken his place by his side, saw Steve's struggle and signaled for the two men that were trying to hold Steve back to let him go.

"Steve, right?" Steve nodded. "She's calling for you," he said when he finished putting the IV line on Kate and got her ready to get in the ambulance. "She's in and out, so we need to get her to the hospital immediately. Get in."

Steve jumped on the back of the ambulance, sitting by Kate's side. There were wires attached to her soft and pale skin flowing liquids into her body, machines beeping irregularly and blood. Seeing Kate like that made Steve felt his heart heavy in his chest. He made a silent prayer.

.

Kate felt a warm touch on the skin of her hand and shivered. She struggled to open her eyes and what she saw was definitely worth it.

"Steve.."

His hands closed tighter around her cold skin and she felt better, even though it was all psychological.

"Hey.. I'm here.. Everything's gonna be fine now."

Kate noticed his voice wasn't exactly steady and he didn't seem to be sure of what he was saying but it didn't matter. She wasn't sure either.

"Jake," she whispered but she was sure he didn't listen. There was this oxygen mask on her face to spoil her. It was hard to breathe and even harder to talk, but she didn't think about that. With some difficulty, Kate took the mask out of her face.

Steve tried to put it back but she stopped him, taking his hand on hers.

"Jake.. I need you to te-" Kate made a forced pause to take some air into her burning lungs. "To tell Jake that I'm sorry.. guess I'll miss our pa-" Another pause. "Our parents anniversary.."

"Kate, please.." There was hurt in Steve's voice. "Don't."

Kate squeezed his hand but he barely felt it.

"Tell Jake.. Tell him I love him." A long blink. A long breath. Kate opened her eyes and looked deep in Steve's blue orbs.

Brushing her thumb on his hand, Kate entwined her fingers with his. That's where she belonged. With him. She felt a tear falling from her eye when she realized she was using the past tense and she thought of everything she left unsaid. There was so much she wanted to tell him but didn't because she was afraid. Now.. Now she wasn't afraid anymore, but she didn't think she would be able to tell him everything. She had to sum it all up. It should be better than nothing. She couldn't die without telling him how much he changed her life. How thankful she was for having him for a while. Steve would always be the best thing in her life. Always. "I love you, Steven.."

Steve felt his heart skipping a beat when he heard her words. She told him she loved — love — him but it sounded so much like a goodbye. He didn't want a goodbye. Steve wanted Kate to be with him for the rest of his days. He wanted her to tell him that in a Saturday morning, when they woke up after a night making love. He wanted to hold her by the waist, kiss her soft, tender, sweet lips and tell her he loved her too. Because he did. Steve loved that woman. He wanted to have a life with her — whatever life a former SEAL, Five-0 leader and a FBI agent could have. He wanted that. Not this. He didn't to hear that as a goodbye. He was not ready to let her go. Not that he thought he'd ever be but..

Suddenly, Steve was harshly pulled from his wander. The heart monitor that Kate had on showed a flat line.

"No.. no no. KATE!" He looked at her but she had her eyes closed and he went numb. He didn't even react when her hand slid out of his as he was not so gently pushed aside by Gabriel who had the defibrillator charged and was ready to shock her.

Steve's world stopped. He didn't tell Kate he loved her too.

. . .


	42. Chapter 42

_**Aloha everyone!**_

_**First of all, I have one thing to say... Wow. Realy. Wow... I guess people feel quite strongly about Kate... It's really nice. Since she's an OC, I love to see that you all like her that much.**_

_**That said, I now move to the second thing I have to say and it's about**__** me killing her... Parson me but I can't give anything (I don't want to spoil) but I'm gonna tell you that this is the second to last update. Just one more chapter to go and to finally meet Kate's fate.**_

* * *

><p>The drive to the hospital and the time that followed it proved to be an unreal experience to Steve. It was like he was tossed into a roller coaster of events and emotions.<p>

Inside the ambulance, right in front of Steve's eyes, Kate went into cardiac arrest for almost three minutes and they only managed to bring her back when she was getting out of the ambulance and being rushed into the Queen's Medical Center, the nearest hospital, where she was immediately taken to an OR.

After that, began one of the toughest journeys Steve and everyone else had ever experienced. The waiting tour.

Except for the presence of his team, his _ohana_, wherever Steve turned to, he didn't see one comforting thing. It was all so sterile and the clock ticking seemed to make the hours stretch into days. It was torture.

Steve and Danny spend that night in the hospital.

Kate had been taken to an emergency surgery and it lasted over six hours and, after that, Steve didn't want to leave. So, Danny decided to stay with his partner. He had left him alone with Kate, now he would stay with him, ignoring Steve's words that he was fine.

"Kate is in the ICU," Danny said blankly when Steve told him he'd be fine alone. "Her condition is considered to be serious. You're not fine. I'm staying."

Steve and Kate could be together, but Danny and Kate were friends. The blonde detective cared so much about her and there was no way he'd leave her alone. She answered his call in the middle of the night and flew to Hawaii only to help him, he would stay with her until she got better. No one dared to think she wouldn't get better.

So Danny stayed. Chin, Kono, Cahill and Connor went visiting but, since Kate was a patient in need of intensive care, the four of them couldn't stay in the room.

Steve was the one to stay with Kate Sunday night and he'd stay every night if Danny, Chin and Kono didn't tell — more like ordered — him to rest a little. He never left the side of her bed and hardly had any sleep. He couldn't conceive the idea of sleeping while Kate was in the hospital. It was hard.

And it became harder the next Tuesday when Kate's phone rang and the caller ID said it was Jacob.

It wasn't Steve who was with Kate that day. It was one of the rare occasions when everyone else managed to get him out of the hospital; Kono was the one with her and she answered it.

.

"Boss, I think we might have a problem.."

Kono had called Steve shortly after ending the phone call with Jacob.

Kate's brother was coming to Hawaii to surprise his sister but, sadly enough, he would be the one to be surprised.

**xxx**

Jacob Taylor literally ran through the automatic glass doors. He had come to Hawaii to surprise Kate and spend the anniversary of their parents together, now...

"Catherine Taylor," he said panting when he reached the reception desk of the Queen's Medical Center. "I'm looking for Catherine Taylor."

When a different voice answered Kate's phone, something inside him twisted, and when the woman named Kono told him to get to the hospital, his heart sank in his chest.

The woman behind the reception desk told him to take the elevator and go to the fourth floor. When he left it and saw the three letters, he felt like his world was collapsing and it wasn't happening slowly.

ICU. Intensive Care Unit.

No. Kate could not be a patient in the ICU ward. She couldn't. She was tougher than anyone else he had ever met. She just couldn't. It was impossible.

Except it wasn't.

He walked towards the nurse station and asked for his sister once again. The lady had just asked him what was his relationship with the patient when someone stood behind him and called him by his name.

.

Kono had been waiting outside Kate's room and overheard it when a tall, blonde, tanned guy asked for Catherine Taylor. From where she was standing, he didn't look like Kate, but Kono thought it should be her brother.

Approaching him quietly, Kono asked in a low tone.

"Excuse me.. Are you Jacob Taylor?"

The blonde guy turned and she found herself facing a pair of deep oceanic blue eyes. She was wrong; he looked a bit like Kate. Not much but the similarities were there if you look harder.

"That would be me," he replied slightly urgent.

Kono tilted her head slightly to the right and told the nurse it was okay. He was Kate's brother.

"I'm Kono Kalakaua," she said while leading the way to Kate's room. "I spoke with you on the phone earlier.."

"Where's Kate? What happened?"

Kono was ready for those questions but, when she heard it in his voice and saw the fear, worry, concern written all over his face, she flinched a bit. She hated to be the one to tell him what happened..

.

Steve got to the hospital later to find Kono sitting outside Kate's room. He didn't like the looks of it.

"Kono, what happened?"

"Her brother's in there," she replied promptly, trying to ease the tension Steve had showed. Didn't work very well..

When Kono told Steve about the phone call, he imagined that Jacob Taylor would be arriving in Hawaii perhaps fourteen hours later; he didn't expect to find him in the hospital, four minutes later.

"He was already here when he called," Kono explained when she saw the confusion written in her boss's expression.

Steve nodded shortly. He didn't know much about Kate's brother but he was sure of one thing, that this was not how he wanted to meet him.

He knocked on the door and opened it. Steve didn't wait for a friendly invitation to come in but he tried to be as subtle as it was possible.

It was always hard for him to see Kate like that. Connected to a bunch of machines, wires, IV line, the buzz and beeps that filled the silence was something that Steve would never get used to.

Swallowing hard, he soon acknowledged the presence of someone else. There was a man sitting by her hospital bed; he had her hand in his and was struggling not to break down — Steve knew it because he had seen that face a few times when he looked in the mirror.

"You must be Jacob, right?" Steve said softly. He knew what the answer would be; he was just trying to start some sort of conversation.

The blonde guy looked at him and nodded in agreement. He was a bit different from the Jacob he had seen on the photo that Kate carried in her wallet but it was him.

"Yes, I am," he said while he debated whether he should stand and shake hands with the tall man that had entered the room or just sit by his sister's side, holding her soft and slightly cold hands. The latter option seemed to be more appealing. "I'm Kate's brother.. And you are...?"

"Steve McGarrett," he introduced himself promptly, reaching out a hand as he stood closer to Kate's bed. He didn't know how to describe his relationship with Kate so he didn't say anything.

Jacob freed one hand and shook Steve's; a ghost of a smile played with the corner of his lips but didn't last long.

Silence fell upon them for a moment. Steve didn't know how to break the ice and, apparently, neither did Jacob. It was an uncomfortable situation for both. Thankfully, Doctor Alice Kekahuna entered the room.

"Excuse me," said the Hawaiian woman softly while closing the door behind her. "Mr. McGarrett," she addressed a nod at Steve and he copied the gesture. Then, her eyes landed on the tanned blonde man who had just stood up beside the bed. "I assume you're Miss Taylor's brother."

Jacob finally let go of Kate's hand and walked to where the doctor was. She should be in her thirties but she inspired confidence.

"Jacob," he said offering her a hand, which she shook softly.

"I'm Doctor Alice Kekahuna," she said with a small smile. "It's a pleasure meeting you."

Even though he was delighted to meet Dr. Kekahuna, as a doctor himself, Jacob was more concerned about his sister.

"How's Kate doing?" he asked, not even bothering with the bluntness of his words. He knew she wouldn't mind it that much either; it sort of comes with the territory.

Alice's soft brown eyes suddenly turned deep. She had news, but they weren't exactly the ones she wanted to give them. Especially her brother, because he hadn't been there as long as Steve and his team. She briefed him shortly, only so he could know what Catherine Taylor had been through since she was brought to the hospital last Saturday.

She told him about the severe blood loss that she suffered, told him she had went into cardiac arrest two times — one still in the ambulance and one on her OR — and that it made the chances of Catherine wake up with some sort of consequence were a bit higher.

"With all possible respect, Dr. Kekahuna, I'm perfectly aware of the possible scenarios. I'm a surgeon in DC." Jacob didn't mean to be rude but he just couldn't wait. "All I want to know is, how is she doing now?" He made a pause. The next question didn't want to come out that easily. "What are her chances?"

Alice looked from Jacob to Steve then to Kate, who was still unconscious.

"We reduced her sedatives a little this morning," she told Jacob. Steve already knew about it. "Her vital signs are still fine but other than that, nothing changed."

Nothing changed.

Even Steve knew it should not be good. When she told him they'd reduce her sedatives, Steve hoped she would react better, hopefully she'd wake up. No changes were terrible news.

"What about her brain activity?" Jacob asked after a few seconds.

"Still strong."

Still. That was the key word.

If Kate didn't respond to a lower dose of medication that meant the possibility of her being in coma was bigger. And Jacob knew that the brain activity was the main concern when it comes to patients in coma.

He sighed loudly. His little sister...

"I'd like to see her exams," Jacob asked. He knew it wasn't exactly correct but it was Kate. It was his family. He needed to help her because he knew she'd do whatever it takes if he needed her help.

"Sir, I don't thi—"

"Look, doctor. I understand. Believe me, I understand. The hospital has its politics and there's the ethical part. I get it. But she's my sister. She's the only person I have. Our parents died over twelve years ago and since then, it's been only the two of us. I came to Hawaii to be with her during our parents anniversary and now I have to face the possibility of—" His voice failed and he couldn't finish his sentence. Jacob was in physical pain only with the thought of never seeing his sister again, never hearing her voice, never seeing her smile. It was painful to no end. "I just want to know how Kate is doing," he said when he got himself together. "**I need to know.**"

Alice heard Jacob's words and, by the time he finished, she felt her heart getting smaller and smaller in her chest. She could almost feel the pain he was feeling. Like when she got out of the OR to tell Steve about her surgery, the strong emotions in that room were overwhelming.

"Alright," she said after a moment thinking about his plea. "I'll see what I can do.."

Jacob thanked her and returned to where he was sitting.

Since he got to the hospital, Jacob didn't say a word about Kate's wish.

He knew his sister was against the use of machine support to prolong life and she even told him, if she ever ended up in a hospital bed, with a bunch of machines connected to her body to keep her alive, he would not allow it. By that time, he agreed to that; now, he would not allow anyone near those machines.

After Dr. Kekahuna left, Steve stood next to her, directly across Jacob. His eyes were fixed on Kate's face. Her eyes still closed. They didn't know it, but the same thought occurred to Steve and Jacob.

_Please, wake up.._

**xxx**

A week passed since that fatidic Saturday.

Jacob got to meet the rest of the team and he finally put a face to the name _Danny_...

"I am terribly sorry about this whole thing," Danny said when he first met Jacob.

Seeing Kate's brother made him feel more than slightly guilty about Kate's situation. He was the one who called her, asking for her help. But, if the older Taylor was mad at him, he didn't show.

Jacob didn't say anything but offered Danny a small smile, showing he appreciated his concern. He didn't blame anyone for what happened. Actually, to be more precise, he didn't blame anyone but the guy who had pulled the trigger.

.

Jacob was allowed to have a look at Kate's chart, along with all the results of tests and everything else. He was also cleared to tag along with Dr. Kekahuna when she was taking care of anything that had to do with his sister but he didn't get to actually do anything. If something needed to be done, the call would come from Alice and Alice alone. He was okay with that.

Also, to his surprise, he noticed that the Five-0s never left Kate's side. Every day, at any time, one of them would show up and stay with her for a while. Steve more than the others.

"She liked you," Jacob said totally out of the blue one night. Steve was sitting on the side of Kate's bed and looking at her. He would hardly blink.

Steve was so caught up with his own thoughts and prayers that Jacob's words surprised him greatly and he looked at the other Taylor curiously.

"Last year," Jacob continued, sitting back on the uncomfortable plastic chair and looking at Kate's profile. "When she got back to DC, I could see something was different with Kate. She was always so incredibly focused, she had this Jedi ability to compartmentalize and concentrate on whatever she was working on, because she never stopped working, even if she was going through hell. But when she returned from Hawaii, she was different.. I thought it could have been because she had terminated her engagement but I was wrong.. There was this one night when I came home late and she was there, lying on her bed with a bunch of papers around her and a few other in her grip. I just took it from her hand and was about to turn the lights off when she whispered your name.."

Steve heard it silently. It's been a long time ago but he saw something in her too. And it took him a while to accept the fact that he could never see her again. It was just highly unlikely.

"I had no idea who on Earth was Steve, but I assumed it should be someone important somehow. The next morning, I asked her about her time in Hawaii and that's when I heard your name again. Only that she called you McGarrett and not Steve. Anyways, I decided to leave it to that.. I never heard about any Steve ever again, until she got a phone call at five in the morning from a guy named Danny. And he must have said something really bad because Kate literally jumped out of the chair she was sitting and questioned him about you and Kono and practically ordered me to book a one way ticket to Hawaii.. I think she likes you. And it's very nice of you to be there for her."

Steve's mind went numb. He knew Kate had come to Hawaii because of Danny's call but, after what he just heard and the last words he heard from Kate, he felt bad. Terribly bad.

Of course, Jacob didn't say those words to make Steve feel like that but that's how he felt anyways. As the leader of the Five-0s, Steve felt responsible for her being shot. It was irrational but he couldn't help it. Also, the fact that he didn't say anything to her made him feel even worse.

"It's the least I can do," Steve whispered poorly while taking her free hand in his.

And they stayed like that. Jacob practically glued to her left hand and Steve to her right. None of them wanted to let go, and they sure wanted Kate to keep holding on.

**xxx**

Steve went through his daily routine again. It was almost sacred now — he'd wake up, make his bed, shower, drink coffee alone in his kitchen, get in his truck and drive through the streets of Oahu silently until he parked his vehicle on the parking lot so he could walk through the same corridors, take the same elevator and got to the same hospital room. According to Danny, his life had turned into a Bon Jovi song*.

Talking about Danny, Steve had left his partner temporarily in charge of the Five-0s. He couldn't focus on his work at the moment. It's been over a week since Kate was shot in front of the Five-0 headquarters..

Steve wasn't avoiding the place where it all started. He was never the kind of person who would avoid places or anything; he had moved to the exact same place where his father was murdered by Victor Hesse. But he saw Kate being shot. She bled in his hands. She practically died in his arms. She even told him she loved him and he didn't say anything. And now, she was in coma. Not to mention the thing about his mother. It was a lot and he just needed a little time. Even a SuperSEAL needs such thing.

Given the situation, Steve found himself spending some time with Kate's brother, and it made him see why she and Danny were that close. The two men were definitely alike in some ways. He considered that to be a good thing; even though the circumstances weren't the most pleasant and both wished it was different, it was easy to share some time with Jacob.

As it was expected, the Rear Admiral and close friend of Kate, Don Reynolds heard about the incident and appeared to show his support. He was a bit surprised to find Jacob there, in Hawaii, but it wasn't a shock. Those two were so close to each other, it was only natural that he was by her side during this rough path.

**xxx**

Even though Danny, Chin and Kono were still on duty, the Five-0 Task Force without Steve was kind of awkward.

It's been around ten days and they hardly took any cases while Steve was out; most of it went to the HPD and Lieutenant Chin Ho didn't take part of it. He had returned to his place with the Five-0s, where he felt at home.

None of them really wanted to talk about what they were going through, but the ominous atmosphere that was hanging over them was undeniable.

The three friends often went to the hospital, alternating visits. Kate was transferred to a room outside the ICU ward but there was always a doctor or a nurse paying close attention to her and there was her brother. Jacob wouldn't leave her.

Every visit was the same. They all hoped for some improvement, even a minor change but, day after day, they left the room feeling more than just a little disappointed..

It was Kate's fight now, but they wouldn't allow her to fight alone. Truth that they couldn't do much.. They couldn't fight it for her, they couldn't carry her through it, but they could and would stand right beside her, throughout the whole thing, just like she did for them.

* * *

><p><strong>*<strong>_The Bon Jovi song is called "_Kidnap an Angel_" and I couldn't stop thinking about it, even before I got to this part. In my opinion, it's the perfect song._

_(I'm fairly certain that some people are hating me with all their beings right now but oh well.. _:x_)_


	43. Chapter 43

_**Aloha my brave little sailors!**_

_**So, chapter 43. The (maybe not so **grand**) finale.**_

_**Straight to the point, I hope you enjoy! **_

* * *

><p>Three weeks went by and some things changed. Not the changes they were expecting to hear though...<p>

Steve returned to work after thirteen days away and, reluctantly, Jacob had left after fifteen days, with a promise he'd come back as soon as it was possible.

Slowly, things started to get back to where they belonged. The Five-0 Task Force was back on the streets, Hawaii had a new Governor, the Interpol was no longer working in the Island... But, even though everything was this normal, there was one reminder that things weren't that good.

During the day time, the members of the task force would fulfill their duties and investigate the crimes that they were assigned. During night time, they'd assume a very different attitude and they'd just sit and wait. It was almost like living two different lives.

But things were about to change. Really soon.

**xxx**

It was Monday. Precisely twenty three days after Kate's surgery.

Steve and his team hadn't had any cases to deal that slow Monday — only some paper work — so he called it a day earlier. There were three things Steve still wanted to do.

The first on his list was soon checked out. Around 5pm, he left the Five-0 headquarters, stopped quickly at his place to shower and change, then he headed to the Queen's Medical Center, where he'd take Don's place and spend the night with Kate.

—

_"How's she doing?" Steve asked as soon as he got to her room. He'd ask it every single day._

_"Still the same," Don answered. His answer still hadn't change._

—

The second item was to call Cahill. The Interpol guy had left Hawaii shortly after Jacob. Since Brian Sheppard didn't survive through surgery — no one had lost any sleep over that —, Danny assumed once again his Italian alias and helped the international police to arrest Robert Fairbanks so he could face a trial. He just wanted to know if that part of Kate's life was done.

—

_"It's hard to say it's done because the organized crime is hard to fight, but he was judged and held responsible for his crimes."_

_"That's great news."_

_"Indeed. And how about Kate? Is she any better?"_

_"Not really. Still the same.."_

—

Steve promised Cahill he'd call if anything changed then, he moved onto the last thing he had in mind for that day, which, by the way, proved to be the toughest. Patricia Adams.

It was near 6pm in Hawaii, meaning it should be almost midnight in DC, but, after this long, he just couldn't stop thinking about it. Hellen Masters.

Kate had said his mother was still alive and told him to ask Trish for access to her private email account. He didn't want to do it. For days Steve refused to call the TA in DC to ask that; maybe it was silly, but Steve felt like, doing so, was admitting Kate wouldn't be there to tell him. Not now, not ever. So, he postponed it. But, for some reason, one day, he mentioned Hellen Masters to Danny.

His partner had asked him what was in his mind and Steve decided to just say it. Probably was his answer that lead him to that phone call.

—

_"Hellen Masters?" Danny repeated Steve's words. "I've heard the name."_

_"Kate."_

_Danny just nodded. "And she seemed to be quite shaken when she heard it.. What's the deal with this Hellen Masters anyways? All I know is that the name came up while Trish was going through some information related to the Japanese mafia."_

_Steve didn't respond to Danny promptly. He didn't know about the Yakuza._

_"Honestly, Danno... I can't answer that..."_

_It wasn't a lie. But Steve didn't mention what Kate had told him. **His mother.**_

_After that, Steve started a secret investigation on the woman but didn't come up with any useful information. That's when he decided to call Patricia. But not without feeling his heart become heavier in his chest..._

—

She answered after the second ring.

_"Yes?"_

Her tone was slightly annoyed and Steve didn't blame her. It was late in DC.

"Adams? This is Steve.."

_"Oh, hey Commander."_ Her tone changed drastically, from annoyed to something that he could only describe as cheerful. Maybe she was expecting to hear from Kate. _"I was wondering when I'd hear from Hawaii. Can I help you with anything?"_

"I hope so.. I need access to Catherine Taylor's email account."

There was a long moment of silence and, when Trish spoke again, her voice was quite uneasy.

_"Pardon me if I'm being too nosy but— why?" _

Steve understood the subtle "why would I do it?" implicit in her tone, not to mention the concern in her voice. This would be hard. Trish was one of Kate's closest friends.

Taking a deep breath, Steve went through everything all over again. Ever since the incident with Brian, until the last medical report that said Kate didn't improve one bit.

Trish heard it all mostly quietly. Steve heard a gasp every now and then after he mentioned she had been shot but, other than that, she was dead silent. After he finished, he could only hear the heavy breathing of the redhead on the other end.

_"Kate.."_

Steve felt his heart skipping a beat when Trish practically sobbed the name. He couldn't find any words to comfort the woman — he wasn't good at it and, looking at the bed, he didn't feel any comfort to share.

_"Goddammit, Catherine!" _Trish cursed a bit loudly and Steve knew how she felt. She wasn't mad at Kate. Actually, Trish wasn't mad at anyone in particular. She was just mad for what happened to her friend.

After a handful of seconds, Trish finally seemed to remember she was on the phone.

_"What happened to Brian?"_ she asked coldly.

"Died."

_"Good,"_ Trish muttered while sniffing. _"Look, McGarrett, can I.. Can I get back to you on that tomorrow? I don't think.."_ Her voice slowly faded until it died, leaving the sentence unfinished.

"Sure," Steve said instantly. He knew it was a hard thing to swallow and he could wait. Actually, he didn't think he'd be able to open her email immediately. "No problem."

_"Commander?" _Trish called, in hopes that he had heard her.

"Yes?"

_"Would you.. Would you call me if— if anything changes?"_

"Of course," he promised.

_"Thank you."_

Steve disconnected the phone call, put his phone back on his pocket and walked to the center of the room. He sat quietly beside the bed and, for a long time, that was all he did.

"She's gonna kick your ass when you wake up, you do know that, don't you?"

He looked at Kate's profile as his question hung in the air until it disappeared, without an answer.

"Your brother calls every single day," Steve continued with his monologue. "You were right. I guess he's a bit like Danno.. Since I brought this up, Danny is worried about you. And Don... Don Reynolds is worried sick... I think it's safe to say we all are," he added weakly to the silent room. The only response he ever had was the sound of the machines, beeping constantly.

Every now and then, Steve couldn't hold it and he let it all out. All the things he kept inside, sometimes they were too much and he let it all out. He didn't know if she could hear him or not but he talked to Kate. Maybe one day he'd have an answer, but this day hadn't come yet.

"Don't sink... Arizona," he pleaded. Leaning forward, he took her soft hand in his as he brushed her cheeks with his right hand. His skin tingled with the coldness of her skin. "Don't do this to me," he added in a whisper.

.

The day ended with no big surprises.

Around nine, Alice came to check on Kate. The good news were that her vital signs had increased but just a little — _finally some improvement!_; the bad news were, it ended right there.

"Her progress is slow, but you have to keep in mind that it's a progress."

"I know," Steve said with his arms crossed across his chest. He knew this little change was a good thing, but he wanted more. He couldn't and wouldn't settle for nothing less than to see her up and kicking.

.

It was way after midnight but Steve couldn't get any sleep.

He was pleased to hear about the little progress that Kate showed but he couldn't stop wondering if she shouldn't be better than that by now.

For the first time, Steve had his back turned to Kate's bed. He had been staring through the windows for the past minutes or so. The orange spotlights of the illumination outside and the thin drizzle that was falling were drawing his attention in a way that he almost forgot about the worries.

Steve lost track of time of how long he stood there. The drizzle turned into pouring rain and he hadn't move a muscle, but, eventually, tiredness took over his body and he walked with small and slow steps back to where he had spent most of his nights lately, the armchair beside Kate's bed; lucky enough it was very comfortable. There was a sofa close to the window, but Steve found it to be too far from where she was and willingly ignored it.

"Good night, beautiful," he whispered before leaning back on the chair and closing his eyes.

The watch in his wrist said it was 2:27am.

.

Steve had the impression he had just closed his eyes when he was roughly pulled from his state of half consciousness. Just like when he was in the Navy, Steve got used to close his eyes and drift to something that could hardly be called sleep, since every fiber in his body he was still alert.

So, when he heard a muffled sound, followed by a loud reaction from the machines, he literally jumped out of his armchair to check on Kate.

When he stood by her side, Steve felt like his heart stopped beating, his brain stopped processing any new information and the whole world was moving in slow motion.

A couple of nurses rushed into the room, followed shortly by Dr. Kekahuna, who lucky enough happened to be oncall that day. Steve hardly acknowledged their presence, even though they were all over Kate.

Steve just stood there, with nothing to say or do. Alice had said something to him but he didn't listen. They had removed the tracheal tube that was sending oxygen into her lungs and body and the loud machine was turned off.

It was 4:18 AM on a Tuesday. The room was again quiet.

With shy steps, Steve approached the bed. The nurses were gone, so was Alice.

He stood next to Kate and took her soft hand in his. It was cold.

"Aloha," Steve whispered roughly. His voice choked with emotions.

Kate blinked a couple of times; her eyes adjusting to the light. "Alo-ha," she whispered, just as low and husky. Her throat was dry and hurting from the several days breathing through the tube.

Steve's heart skipped a beat. He felt so much joy when her soft hand that was getting warmer squeezed his. The silvery grey color of her eyes were back to fill his world with beauty and her voice was like music to his ears. The most beautiful song he had ever heard. After a very long time, Steve smiled.

"It's good to have you back, beautiful," he said, his eyes getting wet as he brushed her cheeks that started to show a light shade of pink coloring the whiteness that had taken over.

He didn't stop a tear from falling. A tear that started to form when he saw her body coming back to life, struggling to get rid of the wires and tubes that were helping her to fight for her life. A tear of happiness.

With slow movements, Kate let go of his hand and brushed the glowing track the tear left down his cheek. The tear had died on the sheets of her bed.

Her left hand cupped Steve's face and he shivered with her touch. Her touch. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, praying that it wasn't his weary mind playing tricks on him.

_Please, don't be just a dream._

Kate's thumb brushed his cheek and he snapped his eyes open. It wasn't a dream.

"It's good to be back," she replied with a weak smile.

Steve couldn't not notice how that weak smile didn't bring justice to that strong woman. Those weeks in the hospital changed her appearance a lot. Kate seemed fragile; just as fragile as the porcelain doll she always looked like. But those were only appearances. On the inside, she was still the tough Kate. Tougher than the Arizona, Steve dared to think.

Kate was struggling to keep her eyes open. She couldn't fathom why she was so sleepy; she didn't know that Alice had told one of the nurses to give her a medication for the pain that also caused sleepiness.

Perfectly aware that she was fighting a battle that she couldn't win, Kate moved on her hospital bed, creating a space by her side. If she would fall asleep, it would be with Steve.

Taking Steve's hand in hers, she pulled it gently and he understood the message. Carefully, he laid by her side.

Steve could see her heart beating strongly through the hospital gown she was wearing, he could see her chest going up and down without help and he could see her eyelids flutter as she battled with the drugs to stay awake.. He was in awe and allowed himself to get lost in the moment for a while.

"There's something I need to tell you," Steve said after a minute or so, contemplating the gift he had been given.

Kate had her eyes closed but cracked them open for a couple of seconds when she made sense out of Steve's words. She was barely aware of the world around her but, this time, for a different reason.

"What is it?" she whispered, half awake, half asleep.

With his fingertips, he brushed the side of her face softly. The warmth of her skin was making him feel warmer on the inside. Steve kissed her forehead softly as she closed her eyes again.

"I love you too.."

* * *

><p><strong>Aloha!<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>_Mahalo nui loa to those who had stuck with me until the end of this road. I very much appreciate your time, your attention, your patience with my mistakes! I know there were lots of things that I could have done better, but I promise, at every chapter, I tried to do my best._

_If there's anything you'd like to tell me, about my writing, about my story, about anything, if you want to ask me anything, feel free to PM me. I'm more than happy to hear from you._

_Once again. Thank you so very much everyone. For the reviews, for the encouragement, for everything. I'm not a big writer and I know I have a lot to learn and improve but I'm so incredibly thankful for each and every one of you who helped me with "Aloha!", directly or indirectly. **Thank you. So much.**_

_I'd like to apologize for the OOCness that happened waaaaaay more than just a little throughout this story and for the extended drama (I admit, I love some drama).. I know that sometimes I push things too far. I'm working on it but it's kinda hard sometimes and I slip every now and then. _

_**This is very important:** I'd like to add that I totally love Australian people and one of my wishes is to visit or even move to Australia (I have this crazy fascination with this country that exists way before Alex, I swear). The only reason I chose the Australian Organized Crime to be part of this story is because I wanted to go for something different than the usual Russian and Italian Mafia and etcetera. I wanted something different and, while I was doing some research, I sort of bumped on this one and I decided to go with it. Everything I wrote is pure fiction and based on Wikipedia. My sincere apologies if somehow I offended someone with this. I promise it was not my intention. Much love to my Australian readers (if I have any)._

_Also, to those who are wondering about Steve's mom and her possible involvement with the Japanese mafia, do not fear, my beloved readers. I'll probably do a sequel to this ("Probably" meaning I'm already working on it but still not sure of some stuff.. Interested? Yes? No? Let me know what you think — and if you'd like to read it, of course)._

_So, in conclusion, thank you very much for coming along with me on his long (and quite bumpy) journey, supporting, encouraging and helping me throughout the whole way and hope to see you soon! :D_

_Hugs and kisses._


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